We serve LGBTQ young adults healing from rejection and trauma

Young woman with glasses and jacket

Although 8% of youth in the US identify as LGBTQ, a staggering 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ. Homeless LGBTQ youth experience high levels of harassment and violence on the street, in the shelter system, and elsewhere.

When seeking shelter, homeless LGBTQ people face difficulty finding shelters that will accept and respect them. Transgender people often are turned away at shelters. LGBTQ young people are more likely to engage in sex work and be victims of sexual assault crimes. Many struggle with substance use, and, prone to mental illness, LGBTQ youth die by suicide at a higher-than-average rate.

Currently we are home for 110 LGBTQ young adults

  • Ages 18 to 25 upon entry
  • Housing is non-time limited, residents don’t age out on their 26th birthday
  • Many have diagnosed mental illnesses and substance use disorders

At Homeward NYC, LGBTQ young adults with a history of trauma gain access to affordable housing in a supportive setting where they collaborate as active participants in their own care, goal-setting and achievement.

Our locations

Impact

Eligibility

Approved applicants will be ages 18-25 at move in, be LGBTQ friendly and have income to qualify for Section 8 Housing Vouchers*

Qualified West Harlem and Bronx residents will be ages 18 to 24 at entry; Central Harlem residents will be ages 18 to 25 at entry. Qualified applicants are referred to us by:

The City of New York Department of Homeless Services

The Department of Youth and Community Development Runaway & Homeless Youth Services

*Rent for residents qualified for Section 8 Housing Vouchers is set at 30% of their annual income. This income may come in the form of employment or retirement income, Social Security or governmental assistance (cash assistance, Social Security Disability Insurance, etc.).

How to get help

Our LGBTQ-affirming young adult housing units:

  • 22 of the 110 units are allocated for NY/NYIII Pop A (chronically homeless single adults with mental illness); located at Homeward Bronx
  • 18 of the 110 units are allocated for NY/NYIII Pop E (those with diagnosed substance use disorders and a corresponding determination letter); located at Homeward West Harlem
  • 7 of the units across the West Harlem and Bronx sites are allocated for Housing and Urban Development Disability (those with emotional and/or medical disorders)
  • 13 of the 110 units across two sites are allocated for General Population (those without a determination letter for emotional, medical or substance use diagnoses)
  • 50 of the 110 units are allocated for the NYC 15/15 Initiative; located at Central Harlem

To qualify for Pop A or Pop E, you must complete an application through the City of New York Human Resources Administration

To qualify for Housing and Urban Development Disability, complete an application

Where to start

Supportive housing programs are different from regular affordable housing applications. You generally do not apply directly to an individual supportive housing building. Instead, you must first complete the NYC Supportive Housing Application, which was previously called the HRA 2010e. Here’s how to get started.

The supportive housing application must be completed and submitted on your behalf by an approved social service or healthcare provider. This may include a case manager, social worker, mental health provider, hospital/discharge planning team, shelter provider, street outreach organization, or other authorized community-based provider.

If you are already working with a case manager, therapist, social worker, medical provider, or another community-based organization, you should ask them:

“I am interested in applying for NYC supportive housing, including NYC 15/15. Is your agency able to complete and submit the NYC Supportive Housing Application through CAPS?”

Your provider will work with you to complete the application through NYC’s Coordinated Assessment and Placement System (CAPS). CAPS stands for Coordinated Assessment and Placement System. Through CAPS, individuals and families who are homeless (or at risk of being homeless) are assessed, prioritized, and referred for supportive housing based on their needs. 

The application is used to determine whether you meet the eligibility requirements for different supportive housing programs. Depending on your circumstances, this may include NYC 15/15 or other supportive housing initiatives.

The application will include information about your:

  • Current housing situation
  • Housing and homelessness history
  • Income and benefits
  • Medical and/or behavioral health needs, when applicable
  • Current services and treatment
  • Ability to maintain housing independently
  • Supportive services that may help you remain successfully housed
  • Household composition, if you are applying as a family
  • Depending on the supportive housing category being considered, additional clinical or supporting documentation may also be required.

Begin to organize documents that may be needed during the application and housing placement process, including:

  • Government-issued photo identification
  • Social Security documentation
  • Birth certificate, if available
  • Proof of income and/or benefits
  • Documentation of your current housing situation
  • Documentation of your housing or homelessness history
  • Medical or behavioral health documentation, when applicable
  • Disability or reasonable accommodation documentation, if applicable
  • Contact information for your current providers

Do not delay speaking with a provider simply because you do not have every document. Your provider can help determine exactly what documentation is required for your particular application.

Once the supportive housing application is submitted, HRA reviews the information and determines whether you meet the eligibility criteria for supportive housing and which supportive housing category or initiative is appropriate.

This is important because you do not have to independently determine whether you qualify specifically for NYC 15/15. The supportive housing application is used to assess your eligibility for the different supportive housing programs available through the City’s system.

If you are approved, your provider will receive a determination letter identifying the supportive housing category for which you have been found eligible.

Your application can then move into the referral and placement process. When an appropriate housing opportunity becomes available, your application may be referred to a supportive housing provider for consideration.

An approval does not mean that an apartment is immediately available. Supportive housing vacancies are limited, and there may be a waiting period before an appropriate unit becomes available.

We recommend that you not rely exclusively on supportive housing. While the supportive housing application is being processed, continue exploring other housing opportunities for which you may qualify, including:

  • NYC Housing Connect affordable housing lotteries
  • NYCHA public housing
  • Section 8 or other rental subsidy opportunities when available
  • Senior or disability-accessible housing, if applicable
  • Affordable housing developments with open waiting lists
  • Housing programs offered through nonprofit organizations

It is helpful to keep a housing application log that includes the name of each program, date you applied, application or confirmation number, contact person, documents submitted, and any required follow-up.

Your most important next step for NYC 15/15 or other supportive housing is to identify a social service or healthcare provider who can complete the NYC Supportive Housing Application with you.

If you are currently connected to a case manager, social worker, therapist, hospital, medical provider, or community-based organization, we recommend contacting them first and asking whether they are an authorized supportive housing referring agency and can submit the application through CAPS.

If they cannot complete the application, ask them to help connect you with an organization that can.

Once you know whether you already have a provider who can submit the application, we can better determine what your next steps should be.