In honor of the Houston Street Center's five year anniversary, the New York State Senate and the New York State Assembly have issued legislative proclamations commending the Center as a place for community building and recreation.  The Center is co-owned and co-operated by the University Settlement and the Chinatown YMCA.

Since opening its doors in May of 2006, the 44,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility has served tens of thousands of Lower East Side residents with a range of programming, including health and fitness facilities, continuing education classes, workshops, meeting space, after-school programs and the neighborhood's only low-cost, competition-sized indoor swimming pool.

"Since its founding five years ago, the Center has become an integral part of our community, providing much-needed educational and recreational opportunities for our youth and adults," said Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver. "I want to congratulate the Chinatown YMCA and University Settlement for making such a positive contribution to our neighborhood by operating this excellent, state-of-art facility."

The Center is located within the Avalon Bay building on the corner of Houston and Bowery.  In a unique collaboration between the public and private sector, Avalon approached University Settlement and the Chinatown YMCA in 2001 to work together on creating the community space within Avalon Chrystie Place.

"The collaboration between Avalon Bay, University Settlement and the Chinatown YMCA was groundbreaking at the time, creating a true community space, open to all of our neighbors, in an area that had been under-utilized for years," says University Settlement's Director of Community Development, Melissa Aase. "To celebrate our five year anniversary - and receive special recognition from the State - marks an important milestone for all of us."

"Over the past five years, the Houston Street Center has provided thousands of New Yorkers with the opportunity to develop the skills and relationships they need to be healthy, confident and connected to others," said Jeannette Corey, executive director of the Chinatown YMCA. "Alongside our partner University Settlement, we know that we will continue to have a meaningful and tangible impact in our community for years to come."