Perry Perlmutter named Social Services Leader
City & State NY
August 5, 2025
S:US President & CEO Perry Perlmutter was recognized as a New Yorker dedicated to serving people in need. The City & State 2025 Above & Beyond: Social Services list includes a select group of individuals whose organizations provide a safety net for the most vulnerable New Yorkers, delivering such basic necessities as food and shelter.
Learn more about Perry as he answered questions posed by the publication.
Perry Perlmutter leads Services for the UnderServed, or S:US, a nonprofit dedicated to eradicating homelessness and keeping New Yorkers healthy by bringing those in need into transitional, supportive and permanent housing.
“Our real goal is to allow everybody to have a home, to live in a place that they can call home, because that changes your whole life,” he says. “You can live a life with dignity.”
Perlmutter oversees the organization’s strategy, brand, fundraising and shelter real estate to maximize its impact. This year, S:US will open 1,000 units of supportive and affordable housing in New York City, and the nonprofit recently raised $1.5 million – its biggest haul at a single event.
The reason for all this fundraising and real estate expansion is simple: It means reaching more people, especially those who are chronically homeless, veterans, mentally ill, developmentally disabled or are dealing with substance use.
“We’re making a difference in people’s lives in this city,” Perlmutter says. “I deeply care about what we do. It’s really important work that this city needs.”
He shared the example of a woman with developmental disabilities who attends adult day programming and lives in the organization’s housing. She took note of hungry, homeless people in her community and decided the organization needed to do something to help these people – which led to the Community Refrigerator Program that’s now operating in two boroughs.
“Even someone we serve can come up with an idea and we run with it,” Perlmutter says.
Perry’s leadership continues to inspire S:US staff as we work to create a stronger, more equitable future for all New Yorkers.
The S:US Board, staff, and our community join in congratulating Perry on this well-deserved honor!
