CURRENT UPDATES AS OF 3/3/2026

IMPORTANT, PLEASE READ: Our current campus at 44 Washington Ave. is under active construction and is NOT open for entry. Please utilize our building next door at 40 Washington Avenue for all services and avoid using our parking lot.

The Harbor House Groundbreaking was a rousing success!

On Wednesday, February 26th, we broke ground on a project that has been eight years in the making. Dedication, grit, commitment to our community, and as our CEO Kim Siciliano said, a little obsession, has turned this idea into a reality.

The Harbor House Project, in partnership with Xenolith Partners and built by Christa Construction, LLC, is meant to provide affordable housing to survivors of domestic violence and their families as a safe haven. Our historic building in the Schenectady Stockade District is undergoing a full renovation, updating our existing SRO program as well as building 54 new units behind our beautiful building that will provide additional housing for the community we are dedicated to serving – survivors of domestic violence.

Thank you to all who came to our event, held at the beautiful The Stockade Inn and catered by 2Shea. We had a wide array of speakers who delivered inspiring speeches that showed the power of community and the importance of providing safe and affordable housing for our survivors.

Thank you so much to:

Andrea Kretchmer, Emcee & Xenolith Partners
Barbara Guinn, NYS Office of Temporary & Disability Assistance Commissioner, Representing Governor Kathy Hochul
Manik Elahi, Representative for US Congressman Paul Tonko
Darren Scott, HCR Upstate East Director of Development
Angelo Santabarbara, Assemblymember
Rayan Aguam, District Office Director for Senator Jim Tedisco
Michelle Ostrelich, Schenectady County Legislator
Gary R. McCarthy, Schenectady Mayor
Alexandria Carver, Schenectady Director of Development
Yuvette R Wayman, YWCA NENY Board President
Terri Belkas-Mitchell, Xenolith Partners

We’d also like to give a huge shoutout to both Gracie Lineham for providing us with an elegant piano soundtrack, Bittersweet Candy for the adorable and delicious favors, and to Andrew Elder – Best Frame Forward for taking so many beautiful photos that captured the essence of the day — strong, powerful and joyous.

Thank you again, from the bottom of all our hearts at YWCA NorthEastern NY. We wouldn’t be able to do this project without all of the support we’ve received from our constituents, community and corporate partners, and our dedicated team of staff who went above and beyond to make sure this almost decade long dream into a beautiful, hope-filled reality.

Check out the full album of beautiful pictures, courtesy of Andrew Elder!

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Past Updates:

YWCA NENY’s Harbor House Project received $24 million from Governor Kathy Hochul. Read more here!

Construction has officially begun! Our main building is now closed to the public. Please reach out to Navia’s House, located at 40 Washington Avenue, at 518.374.3394 for uninterrupted services.

Our CEO, Kim Siciliano, did a walkthrough with our partners Xenolith Partners and Christa Construction, LLC as construction has begun and, wow — what a difference in there already!

Our partners are removing the old and bringing in the new while restoring and respecting our beautiful historic building that has been a pillar to our community for so many years.

Please watch this space for any additional updates as they come.

Since 1888, YWCA NENY has been an innovator of programs and services to meet the changing needs of vulnerable people in Schenectady. Harbor House represents the next evolution for the organization. This locally-sensitive, contextual, resilient and sustainably-designed building will help to mitigate chronic social, economic, and health disparities for Schenectady residents. Located in an historic district, the design strikes a balance with a façade that is appropriate for its surroundings while being mindful of the programmatic needs of the YWCA and present-day construction materials and techniques.

The project team at Xenolith embraced a community engagement process for over two years to ensure that the final result was a well-received addition to the Stockade District. The first of two phases, Harbor House will help YWCA NENY re-position its housing strategy away from SROs. The next phase will include the historically sensitive, adaptive reuse of YWCA NENY’s existing building, converting the SRO units and underused space into studios and family units. As SROs require shared facilities, a move to independent living spaces can help limit the transmission of infectious diseases, which is critical during a pandemic.

Harbor House at the YWCA is designed to meet the needs of those most frequently served by the YWCA NorthEastern New York (YWCA NENY)–survivors of domestic violence. This 100% supportive development will offer 54 new built units for women (trans-inclusive) on YWCA NENY’s existing campus in the Stockade Historic District in Schenectady. Fifty units will be studios designed for individuals while the remainder are two-bedrooms to accommodate small families. The project is located in a walkable neighborhood that is well-served by public transportation, access to employment and educational opportunities, restaurants, grocery stores, municipal services, and parks.

Harbor House uses trauma-informed design guidelines to create a sense of safety, support, and community. Specific interventions include: clustering of units; an abundance of natural light and view corridors to provide residents with visual connection to the outdoors; layers of semi-private and semi-public common spaces, including a double-height great room; and an even distribution of supportive services across all floors of the building. These ideas are even more important during a pandemic given concerns around personal space and crowded places.

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For more information on Xenolith and The Harbor House Project, please click here.