Urban Resource Institute

What Urban Resource Institute does

Urban Resource Institute (URI) is a New York City-based nonprofit organization that operates the nation's largest network of domestic violence shelters, serving survivors of intimate partner violence, homeless families, and youth across the five boroughs. The organization runs 24 shelters providing 4,000 beds, shelters nearly 1,200 domestic violence survivors each night, and reaches more than 40,000 individuals annually through prevention, intervention, education, and direct service programs. Its core programmatic platforms include the People and Animals Living Safely (PALS) program — the first and only pet-inclusive shelter model in New York — the Trauma-Informed Abusive Partner Intervention Program (APIP), the Legal Education Advocacy Program (LEAP), the Economic Empowerment Program (EEP), the school-based Relationship Abuse Prevention Program (RAPP), and the recently opened Magnolia Gardens, a 90-unit Passive House-certified transitional housing facility in Flushing, Queens.

URI's underlying technology infrastructure is modest but purpose-built: a SOC 2-compliant information security program on Microsoft Azure supporting encryption, vulnerability scanning, and incident response, alongside domain-specialized operational innovations such as pet-inclusive co-living shelter design and Passive House (Phius) sustainable building standards. Its programs are evaluated by independent third parties — most notably the Urban Institute's evaluation of APIP — and the organization has been recognized for both programmatic outcomes and sustainable facility design, including a $1 million NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence award.

URI's business model is that of a contracted social services nonprofit: it is funded primarily through multi-year government contracts with NYC Department of Social Services (HRA and DHS), NYC HPD, and New York State agencies, supplemented by Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity, private philanthropy, and individual donations. Services are provided at no cost to clients, with 88% of revenue reported as being spent on programs. The organization has no public ticker, no parent company, and is governed by an independent Board of Trustees chaired by Whittaker Mack III of JP Morgan Wealth Management. Under CEO Nathaniel Fields, who has led the organization since 2012, the operating budget has nearly tripled, supporting a sustained expansion of facilities, programmatic scope, and the 2025 launch of the PALS for All initiative aimed at making NYC's entire human services system pet-inclusive by 2030.

Name

Urban Resource Institute

Legal name

Urban Resource Institute

Website

https://urinyc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Urban Resource Institute is a New York City-based nonprofit operating the nation's largest domestic violence shelter network, serving survivors of intimate partner violence, homeless families, and youth across 24 shelters with pioneering pet-inclusive housing, trauma-informed intervention, and transitional housing programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Government Contracts and Grants: Primary funding from NYC Department of Social Services (DSS), NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS), NYC Human Resources Administration (HRA), NYC HPD, and New York State agencies including Homes and Community Renewal. Also receives Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity.
2. Private Donations and Philanthropy: Individual donations, corporate philanthropy, and foundation grants. 88% of revenue is spent on programs.
3. Awards and Recognition Funding: Received $1 million award from NYSERDA Buildings of Excellence Competition for Magnolia Gardens sustainable design.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Urban Resource Institute provides free, trauma-informed social services to survivors of domestic violence and families experiencing homelessness in New York City. Its core offerings span emergency domestic violence shelter (24 shelters, ~1,200 survivors nightly), transitional housing for homeless families (6 sites, ~1,000 individuals nightly), pet-inclusive co-living shelter through the PALS program (11 shelters, 242+ pet-inclusive units), legal advocacy, economic empowerment, abusive partner intervention, and youth prevention education. The organization is funded through government contracts, grants, and donations, and serves over 40,000 individuals annually.

Product overview

Urban Resource Institute operates as a multi-service social services organization offering a comprehensive continuum of care for domestic violence survivors and homeless families. The organization functions as a platform-plus-modules architecture, with core shelter and housing services supported by specialized programs including the People and Animals Living Safely (PALS) program for pet-inclusive sheltering, the Economic Empowerment Program (EEP) for career and financial services, the Legal Education Advocacy Program (LEAP) for legal support, the Abusive Partner Intervention Program (APIP) for accountability-based intervention, and the Relationship Abuse Prevention Program (RAPP) for youth education. Key facilities include Magnolia Gardens transitional housing and multiple domestic violence shelters across NYC. URI operates 24 shelters providing 4,000 beds and impacts over 40,000 individuals annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PALS (People and Animals Living Safely): Innovative program allowing domestic violence survivors to shelter with their pets, launched in 2013 and now operating across 11 shelters
• APIP (Abusive Partner Intervention Program)
• LEAP (Legal Education Advocacy Program)
• EEP (Economic Empowerment Program)
• RAPP (Relationship Abuse Prevention Program)
• Magnolia Gardens
• PALS for All

Products and services

• People and Animals Living Safely (PALS) Pet-inclusive shelter program that allows domestic violence survivors and homeless families to live safely with their pets. Operates across 11 shelters with 242 pet-inclusive units and has supported over 1,000 families and 2,000 pets.
• PALS for All Initiative aimed at making New York City's social services fully pet-inclusive by 2030, supporting other human service organizations through three engagement levels: Explore, Do, and Deepen.
• Economic Empowerment Program (EEP) Provides economic abuse services and resources to support survivors in creating sustainable pathways to economic safety and freedom, including individualized economic support, career readiness workshops, internships, specialized training, and job placement assistance.
• Legal Education Advocacy Program (LEAP) Legal support program that brings trauma-informed legal assistance directly into shelter facilities. Serves approximately 250 survivors and families each year with essential support in family and immigration law.
• Abusive Partner Intervention Program (APIP) Trauma-informed intervention program for individuals who have caused harm in intimate partner relationships, aiming to reduce recidivism among convicted offenders in New York City and Westchester County. Includes APIP and Respect + Responsibility (R+R) components. Evaluated by the Urban Institute as a promising practice.
• Relationship Abuse Prevention Program (RAPP) & Early RAPP School-based programs for middle and high school students that help prevent teen relationship abuse by teaching young people to recognize unhealthy behaviors and build safe, respectful relationships. Reaches more than 40,000 students annually across New York City.
• Magnolia Gardens Purpose-built transitional housing facility in Flushing, Queens featuring 90 apartment-style units for families with children facing homelessness. First transitional shelter in NYC built to Passive House (Phius) standards and the first facility where PATH-intake families can bring pets through PALS.
• Domestic Violence Shelter Services Safe, confidential shelter for nearly 1,200 domestic violence survivors every night, including adults, children, and pets. Provides 242 pet-inclusive units across nine shelters.
• Homeless Families Residential Program Transitional housing for homeless families at six sites across NYC with capacity to shelter nearly 1,000 individuals each night in apartment-style residences, with comprehensive services to break cycles of homelessness.
• Crime Victim Services Program (CVSP) Provides specialized support for survivors navigating complex challenges, including trauma counseling, safety planning, and advocacy.
• Rapid Rehousing Supporting survivors in securing stable housing through housing navigation and permanent housing placement assistance.
• Trauma-Informed Counseling Services Licensed counselors, social workers, and advocates provide individual and group counseling, mental health assessments, and wellness supports embedded in all residential and non-residential programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• 88% of revenue spent directly on programs
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NYC Department of Social Services (DSS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 March 2026Primary government partner for shelter operations and Magnolia Gardens development. DSS, comprising HRA and DHS, serves millions of New Yorkers and oversees the city's shelter network. DSS Commissioner Erin Dalton emphasized commitment to innovative shelter models and trauma-informed settings.
• Asian Americans for Equality (AAFE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-developer of Magnolia Gardens with over 30 years serving Flushing community. AAFE provides affordable housing development, community services, small business lending, and multilingual engagement. Also leads Housing Services & Retention Collaborative for the project.
• National Domestic Violence HotlinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for PALS Report and Survey - first nationwide survey on intersection of domestic violence and pets. The Hotline conducted its first survey about pets, gathering data on how pet considerations affect survivors' decisions to seek shelter.
• ASPCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPALS for All partner supporting expansion of pet-inclusive shelter across NYC by 2030. ASPCA provides resources and advocacy for animal welfare in shelter settings.
• My Dog Is My HomeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPALS for All partner, nonprofit working to increase access to shelter and housing for people with pets. Founded about a decade ago.
• Safe Havens for PetsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPALS for All partner supporting pet-inclusive shelter expansion efforts.
• Chinese-American Planning CouncilminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMember of Housing Services & Retention Collaborative for Magnolia Gardens, referring families in need of transitional housing.
• Korean American Family Service CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaborative member providing culturally relevant navigation for vulnerable women leaving abusive homes, with services in Korean language.
• Garden of HopeminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAAPI-serving nonprofit member of Housing Services & Retention Collaborative for Magnolia Gardens.
• WomankindminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAAPI-serving nonprofit member of Housing Services & Retention Collaborative for Magnolia Gardens.
• Korean Community ServicesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAAPI-serving nonprofit member of Housing Services & Retention Collaborative for Magnolia Gardens.
• Child Center of NYminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAAPI-serving nonprofit member of Housing Services & Retention Collaborative for Magnolia Gardens.
• South Asian Council for Social ServicesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAAPI-serving nonprofit member of Housing Services & Retention Collaborative for Magnolia Gardens.
• Charles B. Wang Community Health CenterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAAPI-serving nonprofit member of Housing Services & Retention Collaborative for Magnolia Gardens.
• YMCA-FlushingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAAPI-serving nonprofit member of Housing Services & Retention Collaborative for Magnolia Gardens.
• YWCA-FlushingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAAPI-serving nonprofit member of Housing Services & Retention Collaborative for Magnolia Gardens.
• District Attorney of New York County (DANY)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing and evaluating Trauma-Informed Abusive Partner Intervention Program (APIP) with Urban Institute evaluation.
• Urban InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIndependent evaluator of Trauma-Informed APIP, identifying it as promising practice in domestic violence prevention.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sanctuary for Families: NYC-based nonprofit providing domestic violence shelter, counseling, legal, and economic empowerment services to survivors. Closest direct peer given overlapping DV residential, legal advocacy (LEAP analog), and economic programs in the same NYC market.
• Safe Horizon: NYC's largest victim services nonprofit operating DV shelters, hotlines, and counseling programs comparable to URI's Domestic Violence Services portfolio. Competes for the same NYC DSS and HRA funding pools.
• CAMBA: Brooklyn-based nonprofit providing housing, homelessness, domestic violence, and workforce services across NYC. Direct comparable in scale, service breadth, and reliance on NYC government contracts.
• Project Renewal: NYC nonprofit operating shelters, transitional housing, and supportive housing programs for homeless and DV-affected populations. Comparable transitional housing model and DSS funding profile.
• Henry Street Settlement: Long-standing NYC human services organization offering housing, senior services, workforce, and education programs. Comparable multi-service nonprofit model serving vulnerable populations in NYC.
• Breaking Ground: NYC nonprofit operating the city's largest portfolio of transitional housing shelters and permanent supportive housing. Direct peer in shelter operations, supportive housing development, and DSS/HRA contracting.
• HELP USA: National nonprofit operating shelters and permanent supportive housing for homeless families and individuals. Closely comparable in shelter operating model, family-focused programming, and affordable housing development pipeline.
• Covenant House: Nonprofit operating shelter and supportive housing for youth and young adults experiencing homelessness, including DV survivors. Comparable residential model for vulnerable populations and similar NYC presence.
• Women In Need (WIN): NYC nonprofit providing shelter, transitional housing, and permanent housing for homeless women and families — many fleeing domestic violence. Direct peer in NYC family shelter operations and DSS-contracted service delivery.

Broad incumbents

• Volunteers of America: Large national nonprofit operating DV shelters, transitional housing, and supportive housing across many states. Broader incumbent in the same functional categories but with much larger geographic footprint and diversified service lines.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/URI_NYC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/THEURINYC
• Facebookfacebook.com/URINYC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/urban-resource-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/uri_nyc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Urban Resource Institute