Bridge to Home
A Pathway from Hospital Discharge to Housing for New Yorkers with Serious Mental Illness
Bridge to Home is an initiative by NYC Health + Hospitals to support patients living with serious mental illness and at high risk of experiencing homelessness. The program focuses on the specific gap between inpatient treatment and placement in permanent housing, and offers a stable, home-like setting where patients can continue their recovery outside of the hospital.
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Nearly half of NYC Health + Hospitals behavioral health patients experience homelessness. On average, homeless patients visit the emergency room three times more often, are more likely to have repeated hospital admissions for inpatient care, and had longer hospital stays than non-homeless patients.
Bridge to Home builds on NYC Health + Hospitals’ spectrum of care for behavioral health patients experiencing homelessness, including Housing for Health. Bridge to Home will offer a hospital discharge option for providers with patients who have been stabilized, are ready to transition into outpatient care, and are seeking placement in permanent, supportive housing.
Located in Midtown West with close proximity to Bellevue Hospital, Bridge to Home will be integrated within the NYC Health + Hospitals system. The program offers voluntary participation for up to 12 months in a supportive environment, where guests can receive treatment and wraparound services until they are ready to be connected to permanent housing. NYC Health + Hospitals plans to open a second Bridge to Home location in the fall of 2026.
Bridge to Home is expected to reduce reliance on emergency care and hospital stays, improve long-term stability and sets patients on a path to lasting recuperation and wellness.
NYC Health + Hospitals delivers over 60% of all behavioral health care in New York City—more than any other provider. As the city’s public healthcare safety net, the system serves a disproportionately high number of New Yorkers living with serious mental illness and complex needs facing multiple, intersecting challenges, such as co-occurring medical conditions, substance use disorders, housing instability, and other social determinants of health. We provide a full continuum of behavioral health services, spanning crisis intervention, emergency care, inpatient treatment, and outpatient programs.