Center for Urban Community Services: Visitor Guide

CUCS Contact Information & Visiting Hours

CUCS operates programs at different locations across New York City. A housing residence, outreach team or medical service may not be accessible through the main administrative office.

Which CUCS Service Do You Need?

CUCS Connects: Free Benefits & Family Assistance

CUCS Connects helps New York City residents understand and access government benefits and other essential resources. The service is free and open to NYC residents regardless of immigration status.

How to Request CUCS Connects Assistance

1. Choose your main need. Identify whether you need food benefits, rental support, health insurance, childcare or financial coaching.
2. Contact CUCS Connects. Email connects@cucs.org or call 212-801-3300.
3. Explain your situation briefly. Mention your NYC borough and the type of application or assistance you need.
4. Request an appointment. Ask for the next available in-person meeting at 198 East 121st Street or another arrangement staff may offer.
5. Ask what to prepare. Different benefit programs require different supporting documents.
6. Meet the service team. A staff member can help you understand eligibility, paperwork, next steps and referral options.
7. Complete government applications officially. Follow instructions for the relevant benefits agency and retain confirmation numbers.

Documents to Prepare Before Your Appointment

CUCS does not publish one mandatory document checklist for every service. Prepare the items relevant to your situation and ask staff which ones are actually required.

Privacy: Ask how CUCS wants documents submitted. Do not email Social Security numbers, full medical records, identity documents or bank statements unless staff provide a secure, approved submission method.

CUCS Housing Resource Center & Supportive Housing

The CUCS Housing Resource Center provides information and referral coordination for people experiencing homelessness who have psychiatric disabilities or other special needs. It also assists providers, advocates and family members seeking information about housing systems.

Types of Housing Support

How Supportive Housing Referrals Work

1. Identify your current housing status. The route differs for someone living on the street, staying in a shelter, receiving OMH services or enrolled through HASA.
2. Speak with your service provider. A shelter caseworker, outreach worker, social worker or qualified professional may be required to prepare the referral.
3. Complete the appropriate assessment. NYC supportive housing applications may involve the HRA 2010e and supporting clinical and social information.
4. Submit through the designated system. The appropriate government or agency pathway handles eligibility and placement referrals.
5. Wait for eligibility determination. Approval for supportive housing does not automatically mean a vacant apartment is immediately available.
6. Follow referral instructions. Applicants may need a housing interview and additional information from the assigned provider.

Who Should Contact Which Office?

CUCS Housing Programs & Locations

CUCS works with supportive and transitional housing programs across Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx. Examples published by the organization include:

These are examples of distinct programs—not a live list of vacant beds or available apartments. Some residential locations do not accept public walk-ins or direct applications.

For property-specific application instructions, review CUCS’s official housing program directory.

Homeless Street Outreach: When to Call 311

CUCS participates in street outreach and helps connect people experiencing unsheltered homelessness with appropriate housing and health services. Outreach teams may be assigned through New York City’s Department of Homeless Services system.

How to Request Outreach for Someone

1. Call 311 in New York City.
2. Ask for homeless outreach assistance.
3. Describe the person’s location accurately, including nearby streets or landmarks.
4. Share relevant safety information without making assumptions about the person’s circumstances.
5. Obtain the 311 service request number.
6. Use the official NYC311 service-request tracker if you need a status update.

NYC says an outreach team may be dispatched within an hour after a request is assigned to a service provider. This does not guarantee the person will be located, accept assistance or receive immediate housing.

Official NYC311 homeless outreach instructions

If You Need Emergency Shelter Yourself

Contact NYC311 or use the appropriate Department of Homeless Services intake process. Shelter intake arrangements vary for single adults, adult families and families with children.

NYC emergency shelter intake and eligibility information

Employment Services: CUCS Career Network

CUCS Career Network helps participating New Yorkers with mental-health diagnoses prepare for employment, find suitable work and retain jobs.

• Resume preparation and job-search planning.
• Finding suitable job opportunities and completing applications.
• Interview preparation and workplace readiness.
• Assistance with clothing and practical preparation for work.
• Support during the transition to employment.
• Follow-up assistance with job retention and career development.

Career Network phone: 212-471-0747.

Ask whether you meet current program eligibility requirements and whether an intake appointment or referral is required.

Official Career Network Program

Health Services & Janian Medical Care

Janian Medical Care, affiliated with CUCS, supports people experiencing homelessness and those with serious behavioral-health needs. CUCS describes medical services integrated with its housing and outreach systems.

Relevant care may include:

• Psychiatric assessment and mental-health treatment.
• Primary healthcare integrated with outreach and housing support.
• Care for substance-use conditions.
• Medication management and treatment coordination.
• Connections to housing, benefits and additional social services.

Training for Social Workers, Providers & Professionals

The CUCS Institute offers training for professionals involved in supportive housing, mental health, case management, homelessness services and related work.

Training topics include communication, de-escalation, housing stability, clinical practices, service coordination and responding to difficult tenant or client situations.

CUCS also operates the Academy for Justice-Informed Practice for professionals working at the intersection of behavioral health and criminal justice.

How to Request Training

1. Open the official CUCS training information.
2. Identify whether you need individual training or an organizational course.
3. Review the subject, intended audience and available format.
4. Ask about scheduling, enrollment costs and group packages.
5. Complete registration through the CUCS Institute.

The CUCS Institute’s 2026 property-management training materials list jgholston@cucs.org as a contact for organizational training inquiries.

CUCS Services & Professional Training

CUCS Headquarters Map & Directions

Address: 198 East 121st Street, New York, NY 10035, in East Harlem, Manhattan.

Before Traveling to the Office

1. Confirm that the main office is the correct place for your service.
2. Arrange an appointment with the appropriate program.
3. Ask which entrance, floor or reception desk to use.
4. Confirm the date, time and any identification requirements.
5. Ask about wheelchair access, interpretation or other accommodations if needed.
6. Use current MTA trip-planning information for subway and bus travel.

Parking availability and a single public visitor-hours schedule were not confirmed from CUCS’s official contact information. Do not assume free visitor parking or unrestricted walk-in access.

Before Your CUCS Appointment: Practical Checklist

• Identify the exact program you need.
• Call or email the appropriate CUCS team.
• Confirm eligibility and whether a referral is required.
• Ask whether assistance is free or program-specific charges apply.
• Check the appointment date and office location.
• Prepare only the documents your program requests.
• Keep any government application numbers or referral letters.
• Ask how you will receive updates and follow-up instructions.
• Use official, secure channels for sensitive documents.

Related Nonprofit & Community Support Guides

CUCS specializes in New York City housing, benefits and social-service coordination. These published guides describe other nonprofit support models in different cities; their eligibility rules and services do not apply to CUCS.

• For another example of nonprofit housing, food and financial-help programs, read the Community Resource Center housing and family assistance guide for Encinitas, California.
• To understand how community organizations help households navigate financial hardship, see the Sister Carmen Community Center financial assistance and food support guide in Colorado.
• The Community Enrichment Center food and family services guide explains another nonprofit assistance model in Texas.
• For long-term family stability, education and employment support, compare the Shepherd Community Center family and workforce programs in Indianapolis.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official Sources & Service Contacts

• Center for Urban Community Services — Official Website
• CUCS Headquarters, Telephone & Contact Form
• CUCS Connects — Free Benefits Assistance
• CUCS Housing Resource Center
• CUCS Housing Programs & Referral Information
• CUCS Career Network
• NYC HRA — Accessing Supportive Housing
• NYC311 — Homeless Outreach Assistance
• NYC311 — Emergency Shelter Intake

Independent informational guide, not operated by CUCS or the City of New York. Housing placements, benefits, eligibility, program availability and appointments are not guaranteed. Confirm time-sensitive information with the responsible organization or government agency. Do not submit sensitive documents through this website.