NYC Opens Nation’s First Homeless Shelter for Transgender People
Ace’s Place will provide shelter and supportive services to transgender and gender nonconforming people in a safe and dignified environment.
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On Tuesday, NYC Department of Social Services (DSS) and non-profit Destination Tomorrow announced a historic milestone: the first-ever transitional housing program for transgender New Yorkers. Ace’s Place, which opened its doors this week, is also the first city shelter for transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) individuals in the nation.
“Through this first-of-its-kind program, the city stands as a beacon of safety, dignity, and empowerment for TGNC community members navigating housing insecurity,” Destination Tomorrow declared in its official announcement. In addition to providing 150 beds, Ace’s Place aims to provide a safe place to heal and stabilize in trauma-informed settings with supportive staff. The facility will offer comprehensive wraparound services and mental health support. A full-time psychiatric nurse practitioner will be on the premises to work with social workers and credentialed staff. GED classes, culinary classes, job training and job placement assistance will be available.
“This shelter is a hard-fought declaration that our Transgender and gender nonconforming siblings will no longer be pushed to the margins,” Sean Ebony Coleman, Founder and CEO of Destination Tomorrow, said in the announcement.
Nadia Swanson, Director of Advocacy and Global Programs, The Ali Forney Center, was also referenced in the statement. “Trans New Yorkers face tremendous violence in traditional shelter settings — and now our Transgender siblings will have a safe place, by community for community. The path to healing and permanently exiting homelessness is successful when we prioritize affirmation, safety and opportunity.”
In New York City, individuals are reportedly already placed in shelters that align with their gender identity. With the new specialized shelter, TGNC people will have the option to stay in existing shelters, or to request placement in an environment that feels safe and supportive in all the ways that matter. The idea of earmarking dedicated shelter spaces for TGNC people is not new; the City is already required to provide at least 30 beds to TGNC people. And while that hasn’t been enough, those designations were a significant win – the result of a settlement from prior litigation spearheaded by Mariah Lopez, a Black and Latinx trans woman with disabilities, who had filed suit in 2017.
Ace’s Place will be city-funded and cost $65 million to operate for the next five years. The refuge was named after Sean Ebony Coleman’s late mother, according to Gothamist. His grandmother kept her house open to his mom, who struggled with drug addiction. “It’s an opportunity for you to come home and for you to get loved up on and get all of the things that you need to get right back out here and face this world,” Coleman said.
