New York City has opened the nation’s first taxpayer-funded shelter just for homeless transgender people — blowing $63 million on what critics have ripped as “progressive political theater.”
The Queens shelter, known as Ace’s Places, has 150 beds for trans and gender non-conforming individuals with nowhere else to sleep, the Department of Social Services announced Tuesday, proudly touting it as “the nation’s first.”
It has a full-time psychiatrist on-site, as well as clinical staff and social workers, officials said. Those staying there will also get perks, including culinary and GED classes.
“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,” DHS administrator Joslyn Carter said.
Critics, though, were quick to rip the eye-watering $63 million it will cost the city through 2030.
“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 Post.
“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,” he added.
The city is already required to provide at least 30 homeless shelter beds specifically for trans people as part of legal settlement reached in 2021 when the city was sued for failing to protect transgender homeless people from harassment and discrimination.
While fully funded by the city, the new shelter in Long Island City is being run by non-profit Destination Tomorrow, getting its name from founder Sean Ebony Coleman’s late mom, who was known as Ace, according to Gothamist.
“The city is keeping in line with what New York City has always been, a sanctuary city, a safe haven, but more importantly, a trendsetter when it comes to LGBTQ rights,” Coleman, who identified as trans masculine, told the outlet.
Department of Social Services Commissioner Molly Wasow Park hailed the new facility, saying the shelter would be important in “strengthening the safety net for transgender New Yorkers at a time when their rights are roundly under attack.”
“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,” she said.
