First city-funded shelter for homeless trans and gender non-conforming adults opens in New York

A pioneering transitional housing programme for trans and gender non-conforming adults has officially opened in Long Island City in the New York City borough of Queens.

Named Ace’s Place, the facility is the first city-funded shelter of its kind, offering 150 beds to trans individuals aged 25 and older who are experiencing homelessness. It is operated by Bronx-based LGBTQ+ organisation Destination Tomorrow, in collaboration with the New York City Department of Social Services and the Department of Homeless Services.

Ace’s Place provides a trauma-informed, affirming environment tailored to the unique needs of its residents. Services include mental health and medical care, employment and college preparation, financial literacy education, and life skills training. The shelter also offers wellness activities such as yoga and meditation, alongside vocational programmes including culinary arts. Staffed by professionals experienced in transgender care, the facility includes a full-time psychiatric nurse practitioner and social workers dedicated to supporting residents’ wellbeing.

The initiative is backed by a £65 million city contract running through 2030, reflecting a long-term investment in addressing the disproportionate rates of homelessness and shelter-based discrimination faced by transgender New Yorkers. The programme also fulfils part of a 2021 legal settlement with trans rights advocate Mariah Lopez, which required the city to provide safe, dedicated placements for transgender individuals within the shelter system.

Sean Coleman, founder and CEO of Destination Tomorrow, described the opening as “an amazing feeling to offer this kind of service for my community in this climate,” emphasising the importance of safety and trust-building amid rising transphobia across the United States.