Our History
Celebrating 48 Years of Our Mission
1972-1987
1972
Unity House opens as a halfway house in the Case Mansion for emotionally disabled veterans from the Canandaigua area
1975
The First Presbyterian Church buys the Case Mansion from the Carmelite Fathers. The Church sponsors Unity House with the condition that Cayuga County residents with psychiatric needs are given first priority
January 1977
Reverend Frederick Clarence Harrison, Jr. becomes first full-time executive director of Unity House
March 28, 1977
Unity House’s Articles of Incorporation are filed
April 12, 1977
Unity House obtains Not-for-Profit status
March 1, 1978
Unity House is certified as a community residence by the State Department of Mental Hygiene (which would later become the NYS Office of Mental Health)
1979
Rev. James Hughes becomes executive director
January 1987
Unity House’s mental health certified apartments open in Auburn
April 1987
Monika Lentze is named Unity House executive director
1988-1998
1988
Unity Employment Services opens in Auburn
1990
Unity House’s OPWDD supportive apartments open in Auburn
Unity House’s mental health supported/independent housing program begins
1991
Unity House begins PWDD case management services in Auburn
1992
Unity Employment Services opens in Syracuse
July 9, 1993
New Life community residence opens in Auburn on Half Acre Rd.
Aug. 23, 1993
Day habilitation program in Auburn opens
Sept. 17, 1993
Drop-In Center opens in Auburn
1994
Intensive Psychiatric Rehabilitation Treatment begins in Auburn
Unity Employment Services opens in Geneva
1995
Grace House, a residence for those with chemical dependency, opens in Auburn
1996
Grace House's supportive living facility (SLF) opens
Oct. 17, 1997
Unity House is named the successor agency for HOMES, Inc. in Ithaca, NY
November 1997
Joyce Williams assumes role of Unity House executive director
Dec. 28, 1998
Campbell Ave. residence opens in Ithaca
1999-2009
March 29, 1999
Danby Road residence opens in Ithaca
1999
Day habilitation program begins in Ithaca
March 27, 2000
Residences open on Pinetree, Nelson, and Fayette Streets in Ithaca
August 6, 2001
Oak Drive residence begins operations in Union Springs
January 2004
South Street residence begins operations in Auburn
April 2007
Prospect Pointe residence opens in Auburn
May 2007
Sheffield Road residence begins operations in Ithaca
February 2009
Agency headquarters move from Case Mansion to 34 Wright Avenue
April 2009
Elizabeth Smith Werner becomes executive director of Unity House
2010-present
2010
Unity House becomes a smoke-free workplace
New Ithaca headquarters open at 15 Catherwood Road
October 2010
East Street residence in Skaneateles opens
November 2011
Final programs move out of Case Mansion into a new facility at 56 Grant Avenue
2012
Fayette St. and E. State St. IRAs combine into 507 W. Green St. in Ithaca
IPRT transitions to PROS and moves to 146 North St. in Auburn
2014
PROS assumes oversight of Peers Place
Mental health Unity Employment Services and independent housing begin in Tompkins County
January 2015
Fish Road residence begins operations in Ithaca
June 2015
Nelson Road residence opens in Ithaca
February 8, 2016
New IRA on North Street Road in Auburn opens
March 2016
West Lake Road residence opens in Dryden
December 12, 2016
Unity House's first executive director, Rev. Frederick Clarence Harrison Jr., passes away
Jan. 10, 2017
Agency assumes ownership of the former West Middle School in Auburn
West Middle School Apartments opens in partnership with Two Plus Four Management
2022
Fish and Nelson Road IRAs close during COVID-19 pandemic
2025
CEO Elizabeth Smith announces her retirement, effective Dec 31., 2025
Chief Operating Officer Darlene Podolak selected as next CEO of Unity House
Unity Employment Services expands into Tompkins County