The Settlement House Tradition
From their earliest days, settlements offered a mix of direct services and community advocacy. Education and recreation, camping, job skills training, preventive health care, cultural enrichment, licensing and operation of lodging houses, and a host of other services were offered, side-by-side with organizing, to improve municipal services and housing conditions. Throughout the 20th century, settlement houses evolved as safe, accessible spaces where neighbors from all walks of life could come together for recreational, cultural, and educational activities as well as to create economic opportunities and support each other in times of need.