Latest news with #AcesPlace
Washington Post
3 days ago
- General
- Washington Post
NYC opens nation's first publicly funded homeless shelter for trans people
New York City has opened what officials say is the nation's first publicly funded homeless shelter dedicated to transgender and gender nonconforming people. The Queens shelter, called Ace's Place, which officially opened this week, will be fully funded by the city at a cost of nearly $66 million over the next five years, according to Neha Sharma, a spokesperson for the city's social services department. Destination Tomorrow, a Bronx LGBTQ+ center, will run the facility in partnership with the city.
CBS News
4 days ago
- Health
- CBS News
1st homeless shelter for transgender people opening in NYC
New York City is opening the nation's first city-funded homeless shelter specifically for transgender and gender-nonconforming people. Ace's Place, a shelter with 150 beds in Long Island City, Queens, will offer transitional housing and specialized support services to members of the LGBTQ+ community, the NYC Department of Social Services says. The city is partnering with Destination Tomorrow, a national LGBTQ+ organization with centers in New York, Atlanta and Washington, D.C., to offer shelter residents resources from counseling and employment assistance to independent living, life skills and financial literacy workshops, and a culinary arts program. The shelter will have a full-time psychiatric nurse practitioner and other staff providing specialized mental health support, according to the city. Destination Tomorrow will offer yoga and meditation through its wellness programs, the city added. "We couldn't be prouder to make this historic announcement that strongly affirms our values and commitment to strengthening the safety net for transgender New Yorkers at a time when their rights are roundly under attack," Molly Wasow Park, the city's social services commissioner, said. "Ace's Place will offer Transgender New Yorkers a safe place to heal and stabilize in trauma-informed settings with the support of staff who are deeply invested in their growth and wellbeing." "The opening of the country's first city-funded TGNC shelter is more than historic — it is lifesaving," Chanel Lopez, the deputy director of LGBTQ+ affairs for the New York State Executive Chamber, said. "For far too long, my community has been pushed to the margins, forced to navigate systems that were never built with our safety or dignity in mind. This shelter represents what's possible when we center community voices, invest in affirming care, and lead with equity. Destination Tomorrow is setting not only a local, but a national standard — and I am proud to witness this moment." The New York City Department of Homeless Services is one of the largest government organizations tasked with preventing homelessness, with an operating budget of over $2 billion.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
New York City opens first government-funded transgender homeless shelter in the nation
New York City opened the nation's first government-funded homeless shelter exclusively for transgender individuals — a move that's drawing sharp criticism, with opponents calling it yet another example of "progressive political theater." The city is reportedly spending $63 million in taxpayer dollars to fund the project, which is set to operate through 2030, The Gothamist, a local news outlet, reported. The shelter, called Ace's Place, is located in the Bronx and offers 150 beds along with a suite of services including on-site psychiatric care, job training, GED prep, and even culinary arts programs. Funded by the Department of Social Services (DSS) and run in partnership with LGBTQ+ nonprofit Destination Tomorrow, the shelter is being hailed by city leaders as a "groundbreaking national first." "A landmark moment for NYC," the Department of Homeless Services wrote on X. "We have opened the city's first shelter specifically for homeless transgender and gender-nonconforming people." Santa Monica Business Owner Offering One-way Flights To Get Homeless Out Of California City officials and nonprofit leaders celebrated the move as a milestone in LGBTQ+ rights, even as critics question the growing trend of identity-specific public programs. Read On The Fox News App "We couldn't be prouder to make this historic announcement that strongly affirms our values and commitment to strengthening the safety net for transgender New Yorkers at a time when their rights are roundly under attack," said DSS Commissioner Molly Wasow Park. Supporters say the facility will provide a safe, tailored environment for transgender individuals often marginalized or victimized in traditional shelters. Officials added that the aim is to help individuals stabilize and transition into long-term housing and independence. "New York City has long been a leader in advancing LGBTQ+ rights and protections, and we're proud to continue that tradition with the opening of the nation's first city-funded shelter dedicated to supporting transgender individuals," said DHS administrator Joslyn Carter. Dem Rep Calls Out Nyc's Ongoing Failure To Tackle Bronx 'Open Air Drug Market' Crisis Sean Ebony Coleman, CEO of Destination Tomorrow, added that the shelter is "a declaration that transgender people will no longer be pushed to the margins." Coleman emphasized that this initiative was "by the community, for the community." "Ace's Place is a community-driven answer to systemic neglect, and it's only the beginning," Coleman said. However, critics argue that the project sidesteps the real crisis facing New York City. NYC Council Minority Leader Joann Ariola, who has consistently advocated for hiring more DHS police officers and social workers to improve safety in shelters, opposing identity‑based segregation or symbolic policy gestures, criticized the new multimillion-dollar project. "Every New Yorker should feel safe in our shelter system. But instead of fixing the system for everyone, the city is spending $63 million to build a separate facility based on gender identity," minority council leader Joann Ariola told The New York Post. 'Bodega Brothel' Near Schools In Aoc's Red-light District Shut Down Without Her Help, Local Leaders Say "That money should've gone to hiring more [Department of Homeless Services] police officers and social workers to make all of our facilities safer." "Instead, we are just further segregating the homeless system and ignoring the very real problems in favor of progressive political theater," she continued. Others online echoed that sentiment, questioning the legality and fairness of identity-based shelters. "The shelter, called Ace's Place, is built ONLY for transgender and "gender non-conforming individuals" because "trans rights are under attack" How is this legal???" Libs of TikTok wrote in a post on X. "This is a horribly discriminatory and unconstitutional use of tax dollars," another user commented. "It's being properly condemned as "progressive political theater." Still, supporters argue the shelter sets a national precedent, with LGBTQ+ advocacy groups hailing it as a "blueprint for the future." The facility will offer wraparound services ranging from mental health and medical care to yoga and job placement assistance, all tailored to the TGNC community. "This historic milestone reflects what's possible when Trans-led organizations are empowered to lead and design solutions for their own communities. Destination Tomorrow is once again meeting the moment — providing not just shelter, but critical care, services, and dignity," said Kimberleigh Joy Smith, EVP of Policy and Advocacy, Callen-Lorde Community Health Center. Fox News Digital reached out to NYC Council Minority Leader Ariola's office, but did not immediately receive a article source: New York City opens first government-funded transgender homeless shelter in the nation Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
First US homeless shelter for transgender people opens in New York City
The nation's first shelter for transgender and gender-nonconforming people experiencing homelessness opened its doors this week in New York City. The shelter, a joint venture between a local LGBTQ nonprofit and the city government, will provide transitional housing and specialized services for trans New Yorkers who are homeless, including mental health support and job training and placement. The city is fully funding the facility in Long Island City, which will cost $65 million to operate through 2030, the local news outlet Gothamist reported. 'It's been just a labor of love to watch it manifest, to hear from community what it is that they want to see in a project, in a program, and to watch other community advocates become excited about it as well,' said Sean Ebony Coleman, founder and CEO of Destination Tomorrow, the organization that will manage the shelter. The shelter's name, Ace's Place, honors Coleman's late mother, who would have turned 72 this week. 'Ace was my mom's nickname, and she dealt with her own challenges and struggles, but the one thing was that she always had a home because my grandmother made sure of it,' Coleman told The Hill in an interview on Wednesday. 'Regardless of what my mom's struggles were, she always had a safe place that she could come and reset and recenter. I thought that was the best way to honor her memory, while also doing the same thing for community members.' With 150 beds — housed in 100 single bedrooms and 25 doubles — residents will each have access to their own restroom and two commercial kitchens. One of the kitchens will be used as a teaching space for the shelter's culinary arts and hospitality program, Coleman said, part of its commitment to facilitating economic mobility. Ace's Place will also have a full-time, onsite psychiatric nurse practitioner who will work closely with social workers and other credentialed staff providing mental health support, according to a news release announcing the shelter's opening. Added onsite clinical staff will provide health education through coaching and counseling sessions, and yoga and meditation classes are also available to residents. Coleman and Destination Tomorrow plan to work closely with New York City officials in operating the shelter, Coleman said. 'We couldn't be prouder to make this historic announcement that strongly affirms our values and commitment to strengthening the safety net for transgender New Yorkers at a time when their rights are roundly under attack,' New York City Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park said in a statement, referencing a string of recent Trump administration actions targeting transgender Americans. Joslyn Carter, administrator for the city's Department of Homeless Services, said Ace's Place is the nation's first city-funded shelter of its kind. 'New York City has long been a leader in advancing LGBTQ+ rights,' she said. In the U.S., LGBTQ people experience homelessness at disproportionately higher rates than heterosexual and cisgender people, studies on the subject have found. Roughly 17 percent of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives, the Williams Institute reported in 2020, and more than 8 percent of transgender people said they were homeless in the past year. A 2018 National Alliance to End Homelessness analysis of Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) data found that transgender people accounted for approximately 0.6 percent of the general population and 0.5 percent of the nation's total homeless population. The U.S. Transgender Survey, the largest survey of transgender people in the U.S., reported in 2024 that 30 percent of respondents said they had experienced homelessness in their lifetime. Reported rates of homelessness are even higher among transgender people of color; more than half of Black transgender women who took the U.S. Trans Survey in 2015 said they experienced homelessness in their lifetime. Nearly 60 percent of Native American transgender women also reported experiencing homelessness, as did 49 percent of trans women of Middle Eastern descent and 51 percent of multiracial trans women. 'For far too long, Transgender and non-binary people — especially Black and Brown Trans people — have been forced to navigate systems never built for us,' said Bryan Ellicott-Cook, a New York City-based transgender rights advocate, in a statement about the opening of Ace's Place. 'This shelter, created for Trans people by Trans people, represents safety, dignity, and a tangible investment in our community's right not only to survive, but to thrive. It continues to show what we have always known — that Trans people are the ones taking care of each other, from elders to youth, from healthcare to housing and beyond.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
