Just Home Project Opens Doors for Formerly Incarcerated People with Complex Medical and Social Needs
Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced the administration’s commitment to advancing Just Home, a first-of-its-kind supportive housing initiative designed to serve formerly incarcerated New Yorkers with complex medical needs and social challenges. The 100 percent affordable housing project will create 83 new apartments in an underutilized building on the campus of NYC Health + Hospitals/Jacobi in the Bronx, providing housing and intensive support services for individuals leaving the criminal justice system.
A First-of-Its-Kind Model
Just Home represents an innovative approach to breaking cycles of incarceration and homelessness. The project places housing on a hospital campus, allowing residents to access medical care immediately and coordinate with on-site case managers and healthcare providers. This co-location model ensures that formerly incarcerated people with complex health conditions receive integrated care.
The Population Served
Many individuals leaving incarceration face barriers to stable housing due to criminal records, lack of income or employment history, family rejection, and/or complex health conditions resulting from incarceration or past trauma. Without stable housing, many cycle rapidly back into criminal justice involvement. Just Home provides an alternative pathway toward stability and reintegration.
Healthcare Integration
Fortune, an organization providing case management services, will coordinate with Jacobi Hospital providers to connect residents with outpatient healthcare. On-site case managers will work with medical staff to address both immediate medical needs and longer-term health and social stability.
Previous Administration Obstruction
The previous mayoral administration stated it would not move forward with Just Home, despite approval by the Health + Hospitals Board of Directors in 2024 and the New York City Council in September 2025. The Mamdani administration’s decision to advance the project signals commitment to housing justice-involved individuals even after the city denied them housing for years.
Broader JISH Initiative
Alongside Just Home, the NYC Health Department is releasing an updated Request for Proposals for the Justice-Involved Supportive Housing (JISH) initiative to create up to 190 additional supportive homes for justice-involved New Yorkers. Between Just Home and the new RFP process, the administration is moving to bring the total supportive housing for justice-involved New Yorkers to over 350 homes.
Housing for Health Success
The NYC Health + Hospitals Housing for Health initiative has demonstrated the model’s success. In 2025, Housing for Health provided services to nearly 1,600 homeless New Yorkers, including placing over 600 individuals in housing and supporting nearly 430 patients with medical respite. Similar success is expected with the justice-involved population.
Addressing the Root Cause
The administration has committed to connecting supportive housing expansion with broader criminal justice reform. Instead of treating incarceration and homelessness as separate policy issues, the Mamdani administration views stable housing as fundamental to reducing recidivism and preventing initial incarceration.
Mental Health and Substance Use Services
Just Home residents will have access to mental health and substance use disorder treatment services coordinated with healthcare providers. These services address some of the most common drivers of incarceration among people with health conditions. Find more information about NYC Health and Hospitals, criminal justice reform, and housing solutions.
