The Furniture Queen

Started by a neighbor, run by neighbors

It started with one neighbor. An older tenant in Regina Carter's building had a sofa ruined by a leak and no way to replace it, so she found him one. Then it was two neighbors, then a network across the boroughs, mostly by word of mouth.

Regina knows what an empty apartment feels like. She entered the New York City foster care system at 10, and by the time she aged out at 21 she was a mother of two, newly moved into Morris Houses in the Bronx, facing rooms she couldn't afford to furnish.

Since 2024, Repurposed Life has distributed over half a million pounds of furniture and household goods to more than 5,000 New York families. It comes from hotels, college dorms, and corporate move-outs, plus community members and partners like Remix Market NYC and the Public Housing Community Fund. Volunteers pick up, sort, and drop off. Every month she runs pop-ups in NYCHA parking lots and on basketball courts, where neighbors shop hundreds of pieces for free.

She does all of this while working full time at NYC's Human Resources Administration, after years at NYCHA's social services department. She is also the tenant association president of her own NYCHA building. Around the Bronx, people call her the Furniture Queen.

Our logo was drawn by Regina's daughter, Isabella Suero.

Featured by

Supported by the Public Housing Community Fund and Con Edison.

Film by The David Prize.

2026 David Prize winner

Regina just won $200,000 to grow this work.

On September 15, 2026, The David Prize named Regina Carter one of five New Yorkers to receive $200,000 in no-strings funding for a big idea to make the city better. Hers: treat furniture insecurity as the real problem it is.

My vision for Repurposed Life is a New York City that sees furniture insecurity as a real problem.Regina Carter, founder

Over 500,000 lbs distributed since 2024
More than 5,000 NYC families
Monthly pop-ups across the boroughs

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Where it ends up

Homes, classrooms, and community rooms, furnished with pieces that were headed for the landfill.

A sunny room furnished by Repurposed Life: orange sofas and curved lounge chairs, a round table with a plant, and floor lamps — A room furnished with rescued sofas, lounge chairs, and lamps.

A bright blue classroom with a curved pink sofa, a round gray ottoman, book bins, and small blue chairs — A reading corner built around a rescued curved sofa and ottoman.

A child's bedroom with a twin bed, oak dresser, nightstand, keyboard, and guitar — A kid's room, finished with a rescued bed, dresser, and nightstand.