QSAPP (Queer Students of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation) is a student organization at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (GSAPP) in New York City. We seek to foster both conversation and community among LGBTQ students, their allies, faculty, and alumni of GSAPP. We actively explore contemporary queer topics and their relationships to the built environment through an engagement with theory and practice. Founded in 2014, QSAPP has participated in and presented numerous events and projects, including Coded Plumbing, a project about gendered restroom design, a lecture by Joel Sanders, author of Stud: Architectures of Masculinity, and a symposium in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots, Stonewall 50: Defining LGBTQ Site Preservation. This is QSAPP’s first publication.
QSAPP Team:
Dalton Baker (Chair), Tim Daniel Battelino, Daniel Mauricio Bernal, David Sheng Bi, Faraz Butte, Don Chen, Axelle Dechelette, Clifford DeKraker, Christine Giorgio, Andrew David
Grant, Matt Graves, Ruben Gutierrez (Chair), Kevin Hai, Jarrett Ley, Jared Payne, Gwendolyn Stegall (Chair), Alek Tomich, Brian Turner, Nelson De Jesus Ubri, Ian Wach, John Elihu Wofford
V, Francis Yu
For more information about QSAPP contact: qsapp.gsapp@gmail.com
Many people were instrumental to our research and bringing this publication to fruition. Thank you to Christine Hunter, AIA, LEED AP BD+C; Julie Chou, AIA of Magnusson Architecture and Planning PC; Carl Siciliano, executive director of the Ali Forney Center; and Steve Herrick, executive director of the Cooper Square Committee for their essential information and participation on our panel about the Bea Arthur Residence in March 2018. Thank you to Richard Froehlich, chief operating officer, executive vice president, and general counsel of the New York City Housing Development Corporation, and professor at GSAPP in the real estate program; and Theresa Cassano, director of the Supportive Housing Loan Program, NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development for their information on affordable housing finance. Thanks to Emily Lehman, assistant commissioner of the Division of Special Needs Housing at HPD. Thank you to Jody Rudin, chief operating officer at Project Renewal, and to Geoffrey Proulx, chair of the board at Project Renewal and managing director at Morgan Stanley’s Municipal Housing Finance Group. Thank you to Lillian Rivera, Alayne Rosales, and Colton Fontenot of Hetrick-Martin Institute: New Jersey for information on HMI, including a valuable site visit. Thank you to Kahlib Barton, Michelle Blassou, Twiggy Pucci Garçon, and Christa Price of True Colors United for their nationwide perspective on the LGBTQ youth homelessness crisis.
Thank you also to the GSAPP administration for supporting this project, both financially and organizationally. Thanks to Lyla Catellier, director of events and public programs at GSAPP, who facilitated our panel on the Bea Arthur Residence last year and our publication release event. Thank you especially to James Graham, director of publications at GSAPP, for making possible the publishing and printing of this document. Thank you to Marie-Louise Stegall and Walter Ancarrow for proofreading the text, and thank you to Yoonjai Choi for her graphic design consultation.
This document presents QSAPP’s research into housing for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness in New York City. It is an interdisciplinary project looking at this issue from the perspectives of the various fields represented at GSAPP—architecture, real estate, planning, and preservation. We draw from a range of sources, including data from government and social service organizations, operating models of existing organizations in New York, and interviews with service providers and experts in the field. Almost all of the information we found on this topic was from the perspectives of sociology, public health, or advocacy. Funding is often cited as one of the biggest barriers to solving this housing crisis, but an analysis of funding models and strategies does not currently exist. In addition, housing is a design problem but there are no published reports that analyze LGBTQ youth housing from a spatial perspective. QSAPP hopes that by visualizing this issue and highlighting ways in which these shelters fit into specific planning and real estate systems in the city, we can further shed light on the specific needs of LGBTQ youth and help advise on ways forward with these concerns in mind.
Our intention in presenting this publication is also to make the design and development fields more aware of this urgent issue and highlight solutions that can be implemented to better serve the LGBTQ youth population. Topics that we discuss in our disciplines, such as housing typologies, real estate and funding models, zoning techniques and neighborhood involvement, as well as adaptive reuse strategies are all put through the lens of LGBTQ youth housing in this document. We examine the specific housing needs of LGBTQ youth, how the existing LGBTQ specific shelter spaces are configured and used, how they are funded, and how they connect to broader systems of the city. Through these questions, we highlight ways in which the architecture and design communities can engage with these issues. Our research is largely centered on the New York metropolitan area. The problem is particularly acute here since it is a large urban center to which many LGBTQ youth gravitate, but where the cost of living is prohibitively high. New York is exceptional; however, in the number of organizations focused on finding a solution to this problem, which enabled us to draw on existing models. Hopefully the lessons learned from New York City can be helpful to any community faced with this issue.
ENTRY POINT INTO SAFER SPACE
LGBTQ youth often go through a number of different housing situations before arriving at one of the LGBTQ specific shelters that are discussed in this document. There are various ways they find out about these safer and more inclusive shelter spaces. Sometimes they hear about these shelters through word-of-mouth, the internet, or the shelters’ van outreach on the streets; other times they are referred through institutionalized resources such as social workers, the criminal justice system, or healthcare providers. Even after staying in LGBTQ shelters and transitioning into more stable housing arrangements, youth sometimes find themselves back in unstable situations due to some of the underlying problems discussed earlier including mental and physical health issues. Many of the organizations described in this document attempt to address those problems as well in order to have a deeper and longer-lasting impact.
GENERAL POPULATION SHELTERS
Shelters dedicated specifically to LGBTQ youth are extremely important given the needs and vulnerabilities of this particular population. The general population shelter system can often aggravate existing mental health conditions in youth and reinforce feelings of isolation. LGBTQ youth experience high rates of violence, sexual assault, and robbery within these shelters. Homeless trans youth are at an especially high risk of violence, sexual assault, and poor mental and physical health within those spaces. These situations are exacerbated by the gender segregation and warehouse-style layouts of general population shelters. As youth, they have specific needs as well. Legally in the United States, unaccompanied homeless youth are entitled to a “homelike” environment according to the Runaway Homeless Youth Act of 1974. There are federal guidelines in place regulating the number of young people allowed to stay in one room, as well as the conditions of the space, but these guidelines are not always followed.12 This publication examines the existing shelter types and resources that currently serve LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness in New York City. By examining best practices and potential opportuni- ties, we intend to make suggestions for the future of solving this crisis.
- Explainer: Questions and Answers on Homelessness Policy and Research: A National Approach to Meeting the Needs of LGBTQ Homeless Youth, National Alliance to End Homelessness, April 2009.
- Emily Nonko, “‘Raise the Age’ Vote Raises Hopes of Homeless Youth,” The Village Voice, March 7, 2018, https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/03/07/raise-the-age-vote-raises-hopes-of-homeless-youth/?fbclid=IwAR33cAGZ Rv5-nRJgkCOAEwFB8HKlVDcFQ1cI0DRR2D7wFVOKSEbl9aZFM.
- Mary Cunningham, Michael Pergamit, Nan Astone, Jessica Luna, “Homeless LGBTQ Youth,” Urban Institute, August 2014.
- “How Many Homeless Youth Are In America?,” National Network for Youth, accessed April 14, 2019, https://www.nn4youth.org/learn/how-many-homeless/.
- “LGBTQ Youth Crisis,” Ali Forney Center, accessed April 14, 2019, https://www.aliforneycenter.org/about-us/lgbtq-youth-crisis/.
- “Youth Crisis Stats,” Ali Forney Center, accessed April 14, 2019, https://www.aliforneycenter.org/_aliforney/assets/File/Youth%20Crisis%20Stats.pdf
- Nicholas Ray, “An Epidemic of Homelessness: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth,” Washington DC: National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, 2006.
- “Gender Minority & Homelessness: Transgender Population,” In Focus, Vol 3, Issue I, 2014: 1-6.
- “LGBTQ Homelessness.” Washington DC: National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009.
- Ibid.
- Carl Siciliano, executive director of the Ali Forney Center, personal interview with Gwendolyn Stegall and Christine Giorgio for this publication, January 25, 2019.
- Carl Siciliano; “Runaway and Homeless Youth Act (RHYA) (P.L.110-378): Reauthorization 2013,” The National Network for Youth, accessed April 14, 2019, https://www.nn4youth.org/wp-content/uploads/NN4Y-RHYA-Fact-Sheet-2013.pdf.
LGBTQ homeless shelters vary widely in their spatial configurations. Our research highlights three shelter typologies categorizing existing organizations operating in New York City: Drop-In Center, Emergency Housing Shelter, and Supportive or Transitional Housing. After describing each typology, a list of examples is provided. Across all of the organizations researched, there are 285 total beds dedicated to housing LGBTQ homeless youth in the city. The diagrammatic representations are not specific to any of the case studies, but offer a general overview of the components of each type. More specific snapshots from these case-study shelters can be seen in the drawings that mark transitions between chapters in this book.
The three types of shelters often serve the same population at different points in their progression out of homelessness by providing critical services and housing. This is often facilitated through references or interactions made at one of the entry points to a safe space. For example, youth often arrive to a drop-in center where they can place an application for transitional housing, or make friends with other youth and hear of an emergency shelter that can house them for the night.
Drop-in centers are significant temporary safe spaces for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness. They do not offer overnight sleeping arrangements, but instead offer access to crucial services and are sometimes open twenty-four hours. Each center differs in services offered, but all centers generally provide youth a safe space to relax and socialize, access to counseling, referrals to offsite STI testing and other healthcare services, as well as workshops for education and career advancement. In addition, larger centers typically offer computer access, regular meals, gender neutral bathrooms with showers, and laundry facilities.
The Hetrick Martin Institute provides a wide range of direct services for LGBTQ youth and an extended set of services for those experiencing homelessness. They range from education and workforce training to health services and arts programs, as well as counseling and housing placement assistance services. HMI has two locations, one in lower Manhattan and one in Newark, NJ, neither open twenty-four hours, but both with daily drop-in hours. The Manhattan location also has a nightly free dinner.
The Ali Forney Center is the largest LGBTQ youth shelter in the United States and offers a wide variety of services and housing. The organization provides all three forms of housing support, and is therefore listed in each section. The AFC manages multiple locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Queens, but their drop-in center is located in Harlem. Weekend and overnight hours are when LGBTQ homeless youth are most vulnerable and when services are not available to them. In response, the AFC’s drop-in center became the nation’s first twenty-four-hour drop-in program for LGBTQ homeless youth in January of 2015. This location is also their primary intake center, where youth are referred to their emergency housing or transitional housing sites. Their drop-in center offers onsite medical services, and normally functions as the headquarters for their service offerings, which include career, educational, and health options.
Emergency Shelter
Emergency shelters offer a critical resource to LGBTQ youth, since they are often the first entry point to LGBTQ specific housing. Currently there are 143 emergency beds for LGBTQ youth in New York City. Shelters vary widely in terms of their organization and layout given huge dissimilarities between their funding and organizational models. Some organizations, such as the Ali Forney Center, have spaces dedicated solely to emergency housing, while other organizations use makeshift spaces to provide youth with housing. Emergency shelters are sometimes run by organizations not solely dedicated to housing LGBTQ youth and often provide shelter in vacant spaces. Sylvia’s Place, for example, is run by a church organization and the shelter is located in the unused basement of the church. The bed configuration changes daily since the bedding is put up every night and taken down every morning. Although emergency housing does not offer long-term solutions for youth, these spaces serve a crucial need by offering beds and shelter on a short-term basis.
Sylvia’s Place is a charity associated with the Metropolitan Community Church of New York (MCCNY), located in the basement of the church in Hell’s Kitchen. Sylvia’s Place provides meals, medical support, and legal aid to homeless LGBTQ youth. It offers a drop-in service six days a week, as well as emergency overnight housing. Assistance is prioritized for vulnerable populations such as those experiencing trauma, living with HIV/AIDS, and transgender or intersex youth. There are at least ten beds available at Sylvia’s Place and the maximum stay allowed is ninety days. Because of its makeshift quality, the organization has come under criticism for being unsanitary and unsafe.
The Ali Forney Center’s emergency housing program operates out of four sites, located in Brooklyn and Queens, and houses fifty-two homeless youths every night. Depending on the site, resident stays range from one to six months in home-like apartments with nightly home-cooked meals. Although it is the largest LGBTQ youth shelter in the United States, AFC still frequently has an emergency housing wait list in excess of 200 youth. This can cause wait times as long as six months to access the emergency housing facilities. The ultimate goal of the organization’s emergency housing is to stabilize young people and move them into the more independent transitional living program.
Transitional Housing is long-term supportive housing offered to LGBTQ homeless youth in the hopes of eventually placing them in permanent stable housing. Currently there are eighty-two transitional beds for LGBTQ youth in New York City. Although still subject to a time limit, youth are eligible to stay for an extended period of time in this home-like housing while gaining the support and skills to move on to a permanent residence. Notable resources for these shelters include on-site intake offices and social worker visits. The house-like model of transitional housing is the most ideal for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness in order to successfully transition youth towards independent living.
Trinity Place is a transitional housing shelter based out of the basement of Trinity Lutheran Church on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Youth must be referred to Trinity Place by an assigned social worker, case manager, or a representative within their referring social service organization. Accompanying applications must include health assessments and test results. A formal wait list is not maintained due to the shelter’s limited number of beds, but the organization continuously accepts applications and encourages routine inquiry regarding bed availability. Its small size creates a family-like setting where meals are often eaten communally with other occupants. Like Sylvia’s Place, Trinity Place is an example of adapting underutilized spaces for temporarily housing homeless youth. Ten cots are set-up and removed daily to make the space usable for church programming. Trinity Place provides individual and group counseling, access to education and career resources, and other supportive services for up to eighteen months of stay.
AFC currently runs transitional housing facilities with seventy-two beds in shared apartments across Manhattan and Brooklyn. LGBTQ youth can reside in the AFC’s transitional housing program for up to two years while they maintain employment, continue their education, and prepare for independent living. The Center’s Transitional Housing Program prepares residents for independence by providing access to in-house case management and financial planning services, higher education enrollment, and an independent living coach to guide residents through the transitional housing phase and beyond. Located in the Lower East Side, the Bea Arthur Residence represents a new organizational model for a shelter. AFC owns and operates the building, a transformational development to be discussed more in-depth in the next section. Opened in 2018, the three-unit building of three bedroom apartments houses up to eighteen homeless LGBTQ youth at any given time. In tandem with neighborhood developer the Cooper Square Committee, architectural firm Magnusson Architecture and Planning was tasked with renovating the derelict four-story historic structure into a space dedicated solely to housing LGBTQ youth. The Ali Forney Center is building another transitional housing residence of twenty-one studio apartments that they will own in Astoria, next to the St. Andrew’s Church, where they currently operate an emergency shelter.
Permanent Supportive Housing
Permanent supportive housing is a model of affordable housing that is meant to support individuals and their families who have unstable housing or are experiencing homelessness and to help them to lead more stable and independent lives. Sixty units of permanent supportive housing are currently allocated for LGBTQ youth in New York City. This housing typology includes increased access to stable and continuous services for formerly homeless youth. The approach of facilitating permanent housing for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness does present structural challenges and opportunities. These facilities are not able to serve as many individuals as shelters with time-limits, but they offer an effective long-term solution.
Drop-In Center
HETRICK MARTIN INSTITUTE NEW JERSEY
Hetrick Martin Institute New Jersey is a nonprofit 501©3 that provides services to LGBTQ youth. While originally founded in New York, the New Jersey branch recently began operating independently. Most of HMI New Jersey’s funding comes through a combination of county and federal grants, individual and corporate donations, as well as contracts with the Newark school system for counseling/programming services provided to youth. Their federal grants come through the Victims of Crimes Act (VOCA). Since LGBTQ youth are at high risk of crime incidence, HMI qualifies for the funding.
Emergency Shelter
MARSHA’S HOUSE
Marsha’s House is run by Project Renewal, which
was awarded a contract with the City’s Department of Homeless Services (DHS). The facility is leased by Marsha’s House, while rent and social services are paid through the DHS contract. To apply to the DHS, Project Renewal had to demonstrate site control, which means demonstrating the possession of a title to the land, a lease, or a contract to purchase or lease a property. They met this requirement by entering into a lease contract before they were able to submit for DHS funding. DHS funding also carries specific requirements for operations staff and case managers, and design mandates, such
as single adult shelters must separate male or female residents. While New York state regulations mandate that shelter operations separate genders by floor, Marsha’s House was able to obtain approval to create room groupings by self-determined gender identity.
Transitional Housing
BEA ARTHUR RESIDENCE
Ali Forney partnered with Cooper Square Committee to develop the Bea Arthur Residence in coordination with the New York City Housing Development Corporation (HDC). They adaptively reused a four-story townhouse to turn it into transitional housing with eighteen beds and an Ali Forney services center on the ground level. Bea Arthur is a suite-style residence where tenants rent a room
rather than an apartment. HDC typically does not fund suite-style residential and transitional housing, but the developers were able to work with the city to bring this transitional housing program to fruition. Each resident commits to a twenty-four-month program with Ali Forney, by the end of which they transition into permanent housing. The development was financed with construction to permanent funding from the New York City Council, borough president, and an unsecured loan. Additionally, they received gap funding during construction from the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York. The largest percentage of the Ali Forney Center’s operating budget goes to rent, so owning property frees up funds for other important needs.
Permanent Supportive Housing
TRUE COLORS RESIDENCE
True Colors Residence Bronx is permanent supportive housing developed by West End Residences that focuses on serving LGBTQ youth. This is the second True Colors Residence completed by West End. The first was built in Harlem and opened in 2011. In the supportive housing model, potential tenants are referred by the DHS or Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) and enter into a lease for an apartment unit. Tenants are responsible for paying a certain percentage of their income for rent, while the rest of the rent payment is covered by subsidies such as Section 8 vouchers. The development was financed through a combination of 9% tax credit equity, HPD Supportive Housing Loan Program (SHLP), conventional construction loans, and funds from city council and the Bronx borough president. The 9% tax credit is allocated on a competitive basis according to an annual funding round administered by HPD. There is also a 4% tax credit that is automatically allocated if the applicant can demonstrate sufficient gap financing to make the deal feasible. The 4% tax credit is accompanied by tax exempt bonds issued by HDC or the New York State Housing Finance Agency. Generally, deals with one hundred units or less would be able to take advantage of 9% tax credits and conventional debt, while deals with greater than one hundred units would opt for 4% tax credits and tax exempt bonds.
Recommendations
In cases where it is desirable or necessary to build shelters from the ground up, there have been examples of providers securing a twenty-year contract with DHS in order to obtain construction financing. This entails matching a construction loan term to the twenty-year DHS contract. The mortgage is then insured by the State of New York Mortgage Agency and sold to an investor such as a pension fund. There has been some shift towards a new model of co-locating emergency shelters with permanent supportive housing called the HomeStretch program. This model can be beneficial by creating a continuity of services. For example, counselors and case workers can stay with occupants as they move from the shelter program to the permanent housing component. HomeStretch has been implemented already for general population shelters, but it has yet to be implemented for LGBTQ youth. While HomeStretch involves the simultaneous development of an emergency shelter and supportive housing, Ali Forney is seeking to use a similar strategy by developing transitional housing next to one of their existing shelters in Queens.
In the case studies above, some organizations lease their spaces, such as Marsha’s House, while others own the property outright, such as the Bea Arthur Residence. A benefit of ownership is the real estate tax exemptions available for Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) developments and nonprofits. LIHTC developments qualify for full real estate tax exemptions under 420-c. Projects that do not use tax credits but are owned by a nonprofit may still qualify for a full real estate tax exemption under 420-a.
New York City HPD provides gap financing to supportive housing developments through the Supportive Housing Loan Program (SHLP). To qualify for SHLP funding, the development must set aside 100% of units for tenants earning up to 60% of the area median income. A minimum of 60% of units must be reserved for homeless and disabled tenants referred by city or state agencies. Operating subsidies are very important for supportive housing, since tenants are referred from homeless shelters and cannot afford rent payments. In the past, deals relied on Section 8 vouchers. However, there are city and state initiatives available, such as NYC 15/15 and Empire State Supportive Housing Initiative. Both are allocated based on competitive RFPs. The NYC 15/15 is administered on a rolling basis, while the Empire State program funding is once a year. Applicants who want to serve LGBTQ youth must affirmatively state their intention in the application and demonstrate expertise in serving that population.
Not all youth are comfortable sharing their LGBTQ identity or that they are experiencing housing instability. A discreet entrance diminishes the possibility of “outing” a visitor or occupant to friends or family and de-stigmatizes the shelter itself. It also provides a level of safety from people who may potentially wish harm on this population. A discreet entry is particularly important for more permanent type residences, since these strive to look and feel as “home-like” as possible.
LGBTQ youth can be the targets of violence or aggression. A door check-in ensures the safety of those inside and establishes it as a safe space for the occupants. A person stationed at the door can help enforce curfews, make sure youth do not bring contraband into the shelter, and track who enters and leaves the space. They also provide a sense of familiarity and recognition so young people feel seen and taken care of.
Lockers
Safety, a sense of personal space, and a place to put one’s valuables are crucial. If a personal locked room is not available for a young person, a locker can be a valuable first piece of ownership.
While youth should be kept under surveillance for self-harm or safety issues, they should also be given a sense of personal space. One of the biggest issues affecting queer youth staying in the general population shelter system is a lack of privacy which can exacerbate existing mental health issues. While having a roommate may be appropriate for some young people, others would thrive better having their own space.
Single user, fully enclosed toilets with communal sinks is an ideal bathroom configuration. This maintains maximum privacy while allowing for a large number of facilities. Gender neutral bathrooms are especially important for trans youth as well as breaking down the gender binary which is part of a larger LGBTQ perspective.
Counseling with Private Space
It is crucial that organizations are sensitive to issues of privacy and that they make sure that LGBTQ youth feel comfortable sharing intimate issues. Spaces for counseling should be soundproof and private.
For many young people access to healthcare is crucial to successfully transitioning out of homelessness. Adjacency to local clinics or partnerships with mobile clinics is highly recommended for any type of LGBTQ youth shelter. LGBTQ youth require everything from regular doctor visits, to mental healthcare, to STI testing and treatment.
Kitchen
Communal or shared kitchens allow occupants to both cook for themselves and also create a sense of community with other youth. This is also an opportunity for residents to be taught life skills such as cooking, meal planning and making nutritional choices that fit their diet.
When possible, laundry rooms should be well-stocked and discreet. LGBTQ youth often face insecurities that can be aggravated by having their laundry publicly visible or not being able to wash their clothes for days at a time.
Staffing is a crucial part of establishing a safe, non-judgmental space for queer youth. Whenever possible, many spectrums of LGBTQ identity should be represented since youth often feel more comfortable with staff who share similar experiences or backgrounds. If diverse LGBTQ staff is not possible, extensive training to better understand and work with this particular population is especially important.
Signage and artwork can go a long way towards making youth feel comfortable and accepted. Signage can vary from artwork created by youth themselves, posters reflecting the interests of the occupants, or affirmative messages promoting a sense of LGBTQ pride and inclusion such as rainbow and identity based flags.
This publication presents an investigation of the current state of shelters for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness in New York City. We hope that by examining how existing spaces operate and how they are organized architecturally, we can put forth examples of best practices for organizations currently operating or in the process of opening LGBTQ youth shelters. We hope to contribute to solving this issue by providing our insight as architects, urban planners, and real estate planners, highlighting aspects often overlooked by the social services and health sectors. Our suggested ideal components of an LGBTQ youth shelter are intended to help future projects in creating affirming, effective, and safe spaces for this vulnerable population.
The research included in this document is far from exhaustive. We have included our investigations into the funding and real estate models for existing organizations. However, there are numerous ways that an organization can structure its finances. We present existing models for future projects to follow, and potential learning for future institutions. Ideally our preliminary research can be a seed for future projects and investigations into this topic. An important next step in further exploring this topic would be a conversation with more stakeholders, most importantly including the insight of LGBTQ youth themselves. The scope of our project did not allow for interviews with LGBTQ youth currently experiencing homelessness or those formerly in that situation; those voices would be crucial in a further investigation of this topic and understanding the individual needs of youth in a specific space. We hope to pass this work forward to another set of professionals who can produce fruitful future projects.
ALI FORNEY CENTER
Headquarters
224 W 35th St
New York NY 10001
(212) 629-7440
Drop-In/Intake Center
321 W 125th St
New York, NY 10027
(212) 206-0574
aliforneycenter.org
Founded 2002
Carl Siciliano
52 emergency beds
72 transitional housing beds (soon
to be 93)
Shelter Types
Drop in Center
Emergency Housing
Transitional Housing
Services Housing
GED courses / education support
Counseling services
Food
STD testing
Career counseling
Housing placement assistance
MARSHA’S HOUSE
480 E 185th St
Bronx, NY 10458
(929) 445-5335
projectrenewal.org
Founded 2017
Project Renewal
81 Beds
Shelter Types
Drop in Center
Emergency Housing
Transitional Housing
Services
Housing
GED courses / education support
Counseling services
Food
STD testing
Career counseling
Housing placement assistance
SYLVIA’S PLACE
446 W 36th St
New York NY 10018
(212) 629-7440
mccny.org/mccnycharities
Founded 2003
Metropolitan Community Church
10 Beds
Shelter Types
Drop in Center
Emergency Housing
Services
Housing
Counseling services
Food
Career counseling
Housing placement assistance
TRINITY PLACE
164 W 100th St
New York, NY 10025
trinityplaceshelter.org
Founded 2006
Kevin Lotz, Heidi Neumark, & Lydie
Raschka
10 Beds
Shelter Types
Emergency Housing
Transitional Housing
Services
Housing
GED courses / education support
Counseling services
Food
STD testing
Career counseling
Housing placement assistance
TRUE COLORS RESIDENCES
Exact addresses undisclosed
Founded 2011 (Harlem)
2015 (Bronx)
West End Residences (with assistance from Project Renewal)
westendres.org/residences/true-col- ors-residence/ (Harlem)
westendres.org/residences/true-colors- bronx (Bronx)
60 Beds (30 per building)
Shelter Types
Permanent Supportive Housing
Services
Career counseling
Counseling services
GED courses/education support
STI testing/physical health care
THE AUDRE LORDE PROJECT
146 West 24th Street, 3rd Floor
New York, NY 10011
(212) 463-0342
85 South Oxford Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217
(212) 463-0342
alp.org
The Audre Lorde Project (ALP) is an organization dedicated to supporting LGBTQ People of Color in New York City. Although it does not provide specific housing-related services, ALP’s community organizing working groups tackle issues that many LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness face, such as the
criminal justice system, trans rights, healthcare, employment, education, and immigration concerns.
BREAKING GROUND
505 8th Ave
New York, NY 10018
(212) 389-9300
info@breakingground.org
breakingground.org
While not LGBTQ or youth specific, Breaking Ground is an organization that owns and manages apartment buildings available to homeless and vulnerable populations through transitional and permanent housing programs. Young adults without family support and people living with HIV/AIDS are among the groups that Breaking Ground targets. They also
offer mental and physical healthcare and mentoring services.
THE DOOR
Door-A Center of Alternatives
555 Broome St
New York, NY 10013
(212) 941-9090
info@door.org
door.org
The Door is an organization serving the needs of youth at risk in New York City. The Door offers a wide range of services including education and workforce training, mental health counseling and health
services, legal counseling, free meals, and arts programming. They have specific drop-in hours for runaway
and homeless youth and they offer LGBTQ specific counseling and leadership programs.
HETRICK MARTIN INSTITUTE
2 Astor Place
New York, NY 10003
(212) 674-2400
550 Broad St, Suite 610
Newark, NJ 07102
(973) 722-5488
hmi.org
Hetrick Martin Institute provides a wide range of direct services for LGBTQ youth, and an extended set of services for those experiencing homelessness. These services range from education and workforce training, to health and counseling services, to arts programming, to housing placement services.
THE LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL & TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY CENTER
208 West 13th Street
New York, NY, 10011
(212) 620-7310
gaycenter.org
The LGBT Community Center is a space dedicated to supporting LGBTQ people to building healthy and successful lives. It offers youth-specific services, such as
education, healthcare, mentoring, and arts and culture programs. Although the services have more narrow hours of operation, the Center’s building provides a space from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. most days that is staffed, welcoming, and safe, and where LGBTQ young people can find out about other organizations
and services.
NEW ALTERNATIVES
410 West 40th Street
New York, NY 10018
(718) 300-0133
info@newalternativesnyc.org
newalternativesnyc.org
New Alternatives provides a wide range of programs aimed at helping LGBTQ youth experiencing homeless reach stability. They provide case management, basic needs services, life skills training, and HIV testing among others.
THE TREVOR PROJECT
PO Box 69232
West Hollywood, CA 90069
info@thetrevorproject.org
thetrevorproject.org
The Trevor Project provides emergency
crisis counseling for LGBTQ youth, providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention. Their 24/7 call line allows troubled youth to reach out to trained volunteers. Given the dire state of mental health that many LGBTQ young people are in when they experience homelessness, this is an important resource for them. Although their headquarters are in California, their services are nationwide and are an important resource for youth in New York City.
TRUE COLORS UNITED
311 W 43rd St 12th fl.
New York, NY 10036
(212) 461-4401
truecolorsunited.org
Founded by Cyndi Lauper, True Colors United is an organization committed to tackling the LGBTQ youth homelessness crisis nationwide. True Colors United offers free institutional training and resources on how to respond to the needs of LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness, and advocates at different scales of government and media for
funding and services for youth.
Arizona
ONE•N•TEN
3660 N 3rd St
Phoenix, AZ 85012
onenten.org
California
LOS ANGELES LGBTQ CENTER
Youth Center on Highland
1125 N McCadden Pl
Los Angeles, CA 90038
lalgbtcenter.org
SAN DIEGO LGBTQ
COMMUNITY CENTER
1807 Robinson Ave, Suite 106
San Diego, CA 92103
thecentersd.org
District of Columbia
WANDA ALSTON FOUNDATION
300 New Jersey Ave NW, Suite 900
Washington, DC 20001
wandaalstonfoundation.org
Florida
PROJECT SAFE
By Pridelines
Miami
pridelines.org
Georgia
LOST-N-FOUND YOUTH HOUSING,
SUPPORTIVE SERVICES
2575 Chantilly Dr NE
Atlanta, GA 30324
lnfy.org
Illinois
360 YOUTH SERVICES
1305 W Oswego Rd
Naperville, IL 60540
PROJECT FIERCE CHICAGO
(not yet operational)
Chicago, IL
www.facebook.com/ProjectFierceChicago
Maine
NEW BEGINNINGS
491 Main St
Lewiston, ME 04240
newbeginmaine.org
Massachusetts
WALTHAM HOUSE
10 Guest St
Boston MA 02135
thehome.org
Michigan
HQ (Drop-In Center)
320 State Street S.E.
Grand Rapids, MI 49503
hqgr.org
OZONE HOUSE
1705 Washtenaw Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
ozonehouse.org
RUTH ELLIS CENTER
Ruth’s House
77 Victor St
Highland Park, MI 48203
ruthelliscenter.org
Minnesota
GLBT HOST HOME PROGRAM
Avenues for Homeless Youth
1708 Oak Park Ave N
Minneapolis, MN 55411
avenuesforyouth.org
New Jersey
Q SPOT
66 Main St
Asbury Park, NJ 07712
qspot.org
THE ESSEX LGBTQ REACHING
ADOLESCENTS IN NEED (RAIN)
FOUNDATION
168 Park Street
East Orange, NJ 07017
essexlgbthousing.org
New Mexico
CASA Q
PO Box 36168
Albuquerque, NM 87176
casaq.org
North Carolina
TIME OUT YOUTH
Host Home Program
1900 The Plaza
Charlotte, NC 28205
timeoutyouth.org
Oregon
UNITY HOUSE
New Avenues For Youth/SMYRC
1220 SW Columbia St
Portland, OR 97201
newavenues.org
Tennessee
METAMORPHOSIS PROJECT OUT
892 Cooper St
Memphis, TN 38104
outmemphis.org
Texas
THRIVE YOUTH CENTER
1 Haven for Hope Way
San Antonio, TX 78207
thriveyouthcenter.com
TONY’S PLACE
1621 McGowen St
Houston, TX 77004
tonysplace.org
Many other organization have put together similar lists of resources for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness. For example, Lambda Legal compiled a more expansive list of organizations by state that serve all LGBTQ youth, which can be found here: www.lambdalegal.org/publications/fs_resources-for-lgbtq-youth
