Danny Kronenfeld, who directed the Henry Street Settlement in New York for 16 years, died Dec. 6 at his daughter’s home in Manhattan. He was 87.  Mr. Kronenfeld also founded the nation’s first family homeless shelter staffed by social workers.

A product of neighborhood social-service programs when he was growing up in the South Bronx, he understood the daily challenges posed by urban poverty. He was known for treating with equal dignity the struggling people he aided and the benefactors who helped him support and expand Henry Street’s programs in Manhattan.

In January 1993, President Bill Clinton honored Mr. Kronenfeld as one of 53 “Faces of Hope,” inviting him to sit by his side at a luncheon honoring the group during the presidential inaugural celebration.

“Eschewing technology and traditional management practices, many people would joke that Danny ran Henry Street out of his back pocket,” said David Garza, the settlement’s current president. “Those of us fortunate enough to be close to him knew that he ran it from his heart.”