West 74th Street Residence

Original In 1983, the news outbroke that the Lincoln Square Home of Adults was closing. Located at Amsterdam and 74th Street, this private, for-profit adult home was sold by the owner. The 150 residents were given 30 days notice to find new housing. The elderly frail residents fled the home in fear. About 40 people refused to leave their homes. The residents fought the eviction in court and in the press. Although they lost the court case, community leaders were inspired to find a charity to assist. Their plight attracted the attention of the developer who purchased the property to make luxury condos. So WSFSSH bought five floors of this building. One floor was used for activities and congregate eating, and the other was used as offices, new kosher kitchens, and office space. Four floors were left as adult homes, with a lobby on Amsterdam Avenue, A,. But the community home was not taken over by the WSFSSH until May 28, 1985. WSFSSH was based on the 74th Street location, even though the new adult home name was West Seventy Fourth Street Home. But, it is most notable for the initials W.S.F.S.H. The most moving part of the transfer was the return of a former resident, including his summary release to another facility by his former operator. But to our knowledge, this gentleman lives at 74th Street and has been there over 25 years. Finally, the program’s name was changed to The West 74th Street residence in 2011, reflecting current preference for living in Residences. A Residence can serve 95 persons. Paraphrased