Programs & Services
Housing
Emergency Housing Program
For many homeless LGBTQ+ youths, our Emergency Housing Program is their first bed since leaving home. Unlike other crisis shelters, our Emergency Housing Program is hosted in home-like apartments in Queens and Brooklyn complete with nightly home-cooked meals.
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AFC has six emergency housing sites with a total of 66 beds. Through patient, consistent support, and affirmation, our Emergency Housing Program stabilizes young people and works with them to achieve housing readiness. Depending on the site, the program lasts from one to six months, with the goal that emergency housing residents ultimately graduate into the more independent Transitional Housing Program.
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With so many LGBTQ+ youths in need of shelter each night, our emergency housing frequently has a waiting list of 200 young people. As a result, unfortunately, young people rarely receive a housing placement the day they see us. For youths between the ages of 16-20, the wait time is approximately two weeks. For young people between the ages of 21-24, the wait can be as long as six months.
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Transitional Housing Program
AFC has 58 transitional housing beds in shared apartments throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. Young people can stay in our more independent Transitional Housing Programs for up to years, while they maintain employment, continue their education, and prepare for living on their own.
To prepare for moving into a home of their own, all transitional housing residents create an in-depth two-year case plan to chart their path to independence. Residents also work with case managers to set long-term educational and vocational goals such as high school equivalency, college enrollment, and further employment training. Currently, 77% of our transitional housing residents are in school and 99% are employed.
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The program instills accountability in residents to prepare them for independence. Youth are required to open a savings account and work with their case manager to determine how much money they should save each month. Further, all young people attend monthly Learning Independence for Employment (LIFE) workshops on various topics to help them become successful adults.
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Each resident is paired with a LIFE Coach, a working professional who guides the young person through transitional housing and, ideally, beyond. With no family to rely on, LIFE Coaches often function as a surrogate family, offering a solid touchstone of support for program participants and graduates alike.