QUEENS, NY – New York City has opened Ace’s Place, a 150‑bed, city‑funded transitional housing program in Long Island City that is designed specifically for transgender and gender‑nonconforming adults, marking what officials and advocates describe as the first shelter of its kind run and paid for by a U.S. municipality. Operated by Destination Tomorrow in partnership with the NYC Department of Social Services and Department of Homeless Services, the site began a soft opening in July and is now ramping up, with the goal of offering trauma‑informed housing and on‑site support tailored to a population that faces disproportionate rates of homelessness and shelter‑based harassment. Services include clinical and behavioral‑health care, case management, employment and college preparation, financial literacy, and wellness programming; residents will also have access to a culinary arts program and independent‑living workshops. The facility is named for the late mother of Destination Tomorrow’s founder, whose nickname was “Ace.”
The city says Ace’s Place is fully funded through 2030, with official materials setting the operating cost at $65 million; some outlets have reported a slightly lower figure of $63 million. Either way, the multiyear commitment underscores that the shelter is intended as more than a short‑term pilot. The program’s creation also fulfills obligations stemming from a 2021 settlement with transgender rights advocate Mariah Lopez, which required the city to ensure dedicated, safe placements for transgender people within the shelter system.
Supporters in city government and the nonprofit community frame the launch as both a practical and symbolic milestone: a purpose‑built environment with trained staff, defined by privacy and safety, meant to reduce barriers that have led many transgender New Yorkers to avoid shelters entirely. They point to longstanding evidence that targeted services—comparable in spirit to youth‑focused LGBTQ+ housing—can improve stability and help residents transition to permanent homes when paired with employment and education supports.
Critics, including some elected officials, have questioned the dedicated model and the cost, arguing the funds would be better spent strengthening safety and staffing across the broader shelter network rather than creating a population‑specific facility. That pushback has made Ace’s Place a flashpoint in an already heated debate over city spending, equity, and how best to serve vulnerable groups amid record shelter demand.
For Destination Tomorrow and city agencies, the timing is deliberate. They characterize the rollout as an assertion of local responsibility at a moment when transgender rights are contested nationally, and when housing instability has left many trans residents choosing between hostile accommodations or the street. By centralizing clinical and life‑skills supports on site—and by staffing the program with people experienced in TGNC care—backers hope to reduce exits back to homelessness and cut the number of incidents that have historically driven trans people out of shelters.
Ace’s Place also arrives in a city that has seen community‑led solutions fill gaps for years, from Brooklyn’s Transy House in the 1990s and 2000s to LGBTQ+ youth programs that operate today—efforts that established the value of identity‑informed services but were often limited by funding and scale. The city‑funded status of Ace’s Place, and its 150‑bed capacity, are intended to bring that model into the mainstream shelter system with stable resources and institutional backing.
While the first residents moved in during July, officials say the full ramp‑up will continue as hiring and programming expand. In the near term, the most concrete questions are operational: how quickly the facility fills, how often residents transition to permanent housing, and whether the specialized approach delivers better outcomes than general‑population shelters. Those metrics—as well as a clear accounting of the program’s true cost over time—will likely determine whether Ace’s Place becomes a template for other cities or remains a uniquely New York experiment.
In the broader media landscape, coverage has ranged from supportive profiles to sharp critiques, but the core facts are consistent across outlets: the location in Queens, the 150‑bed design, the city funding through the end of the decade, the Destination Tomorrow partnership, the focus on trauma‑informed care, and the program’s standing as the first city‑funded trans‑specific shelter in the country. With the debate over costs likely to continue, the program’s first year will provide the earliest read on whether specialized, government‑run models can close stubborn gaps in safety and housing stability for transgender New Yorkers.
Key Questions About NYC’s New Transgender Transitional Housing Program
Q: What is Ace’s Place and why is it significant?
A: Ace’s Place is New York City’s first government-funded transitional housing facility dedicated exclusively to transgender and gender-nonconforming adults. With 150 beds and a range of wraparound services, it marks a milestone in addressing the high rates of homelessness and safety concerns faced by trans New Yorkers.
Q: Who operates the shelter and how is it funded?
A: The program is run by the nonprofit Destination Tomorrow in partnership with the NYC Department of Social Services and Department of Homeless Services. It is fully funded by the city through 2030 at an estimated cost of $63–$65 million.
Q: What services are available to residents?
A: Residents have access to trauma-informed care, mental health support, case management, employment and education preparation, financial literacy programs, independent living workshops, wellness activities like yoga and meditation, and a culinary arts program.
Q: Why create a dedicated facility for transgender residents?
A: Studies show transgender people experience homelessness at significantly higher rates and often face harassment or unsafe conditions in general-population shelters. Ace’s Place is designed to provide a safe, affirming environment staffed by people trained in TGNC care.
Q: How did this project come about?
A: It fulfills part of a 2021 legal settlement with activist Mariah Lopez, which required the city to provide dedicated, safe beds for transgender individuals within the shelter system.
Q: What are the main criticisms of the program?
A: Some elected officials and commentators have questioned the high cost and argued that resources should be used to improve safety and conditions across all shelters rather than focus on one group.
Q: Could Ace’s Place become a model for other cities?
A: Supporters hope so. If the program proves effective in helping residents transition to permanent housing and reducing shelter-based incidents, it could serve as a blueprint for other municipalities seeking to address homelessness among vulnerable populations.
