In 1990, a group of New Yorkers saw the growing homeless population and had an idea: take over the Times Square Hotel and turn it into permanent supportive housing for homeless men and women.

They refurbished the building, added support services and made it a real home for people who had none. 

Since then, their idea has grown into an incredible movement. They take over abandoned properties or build new buildings, designed by architects to become apartments that individuals and families can take pride in, and that won't point to their occupants as being the city's poor or formerly homeless. 

Today, Breaking Ground operates more than 4,000 units in the city, upstate and in Connecticut. President and CEO Brenda Rosen joined In Focus to talk about why the venture has been so successful, how it's continuing to grow and why some developers are now abandoning the luxury market to build affordable housing for families.