University Settlement Society of New York

You are standing near the University Settlement Society of New York, an organization that fundamentally changed how America addresses urban poverty. Established in 1886, it holds the distinction of being the first settlement house in the United States. Its founders, Stanton Coit and Charles Stover, bypassed the traditional approach of simply handing out charity. Instead, they moved directly into a tenement basement on the Lower East Side to live among the immigrant families they aimed to help. By creating a space for neighbors to gather, organize, and learn, they pioneered a new model of social service that prioritized community empowerment over mere relief.