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OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Joint Oversight Hearing: Housing Instability Among LGBTQ+ Individuals in NYC – June 24, 2026

City Council — Wednesday, June 24, 2026

BodyNew York City, New York

SessionCity Council

DateWednesday, June 24, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 2:41:40

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:02

Good morning and welcome to today's New York City Council hearing for the committees on women and gender equity joint with general welfare.

0:09

At this time, we ask that you please silence all cell phones and electronic devices to minimize disruptions throughout the hearing.

0:15

If you wish to testify, please see a sergeant arms for assistance.

0:18

At any time throughout today's proceeding, please do not approach the dais.

0:21

We thank you for your kind cooperation.

0:23

Chairs, we are ready to begin.

0:26

Good morning, everyone.

0:28

I'm Councilmember Amanda Fadias, Chair of the Committee on Women and Gender Equity.

0:31

I'm excited to be joined by the Chair of the Committee on General Welfare, Councilmember Crystal Hudson for today's hearing on housing instability among LGBTQ plus individuals in New York City.

0:41

As we celebrate Pride Month here in New York, it is important to recognize the reality of the LGBT plus community's ongoing struggles, one of them being that in the United States, LGBTQ plus individuals are more likely to face housing insecurity than non-LGBTQ people.

0:58

When we look back at the origins of Pride at the 1969 Stonewall riots, we are reminded that the modern LGBTQ plus liberation movement was largely formed by housing insecure people.

1:09

The Stonewall Bar was a haven for young LGBTQ plus individuals who had nowhere else to go.

1:15

Housing injustice and LGBTQ plus rights have been the in have been intertwined since the beginning.

1:22

Today, LGBTQ plus individuals continue to face challenges in accessing safe, stable, and affordable housing.

1:30

Often this begins tragically early when many young people are forced to leave their homes due to family rejection or unsupportive environments.

1:38

Almost half of all homeless youth in New York City identified as LGBTQ plus, and one in four have experienced homelessness or housing insecurity at one point in their lives.

1:48

But these challenges often persist throughout an LGBTQ plus person's life with LGBTQ plus elders facing high risks of being turned away from or being charged or being charges higher charged with higher rents at independent or assisted living centers.

2:05

As nationwide, 48% of LGBTQ plus seniors experience discrimination when applying for housing.

2:11

For LGBTQ plus individuals, the challenges don't end when they gain access to shelter services.

2:16

Many experience discrimination, harassment, and even violence when seeking support.

2:21

Furthermore, if staff are not equipped to serve LGBTQ people, it can often lead to additional harm, especially when staff fails to honor a person's gender identity and houses a person based on their sex assigned at birth rather than where the person feels the safest.

2:37

New York City has historically been a progressive leader and a safe haven for individuals of all gender and genders and sexual orientations, boasting the largest population of LGBTQ plus people of any U.S.

2:48

metro area.

2:50

Our city needs to bolster our support of housing services for LGBTQ people and the development of more affordable and supportive housing options for this community.

2:59

So today we'll ask the administration how you are working to address housing instability among LGBTQ plus individuals in New York City.

3:06

What specific housing resources are available to the LGBTQ plus community, and what trainings are available available for people working in shelters around engagement with LGBT plus individuals.

3:18

Now I'd like to invite Chair Hudson to deliver her opening remarks.

3:22

Thank you so much.

3:23

Good morning, and welcome to today's oversight hearing.

3:26

I'm Crystal Hudson, General Welfare Committee Chair, and my pronouns are she her.

3:30

I would like to also thank Councilmember Fideas, who, from my own personal experience as well as my professional experience working with her, puts allyship into action.

3:42

And I'd like to thank the Committee on Women and Gender Equity for joining the Committee on General Welfare and holding this hearing.

3:48

Additionally, we are joined by Council members Viles, Ung, Morano on Zoom, Wilson, and El Deball.

3:55

Despite New York City's reputation as a place of inclusion, LGBTQ plus individuals, particularly transgender and gender nonconforming people, LGBTQ plus youth, and LGBTQ plus people of color remain disproportionately impacted by housing insecurity.

4:10

Many are forced from their homes due to family rejection.

4:13

Many face barriers to accessing safe and affirming shelters, and many encounter discrimination when seeking permanent affordable housing.

4:20

Compounded by rising rents, a shortage of affordable housing, and economic inequality that continues to affect our most vulnerable neighbors.

4:28

The challenges can feel insurmountable.

4:30

New York City's overall homelessness crisis continues to grow, with tens of thousands of people residing in shelters nightly.

4:37

Within this broader crisis, LGBTQ plus individuals, particularly transgender people, youth, and people of color face unique barriers to obtaining and maintaining stable housing.

4:47

In the LGBTQ plus homeless youth provider survey, providers reported that being forced out by parents or they ran away because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression was a primary reason for homelessness in over 55% of their LGBTQ youth clients over and over 67% of their transgender clients, with general family issues underlying homelessness for an additional 16.5% of LGBTQ and 7.3% of transgender clients.

5:16

Among respondents to the most recent US transgender survey, 70% of respondents who experienced homelessness and stayed in a shelter the previous year reported some form of mistreatment, including being harassed, assaulted, or kicked out because of being transgender.

5:30

More than 36% of respondents who experienced homelessness in the previous year avoided staying in shelter because they feared being mistreated as a transgender person.

5:39

We recognize that addressing housing instability among LGBTQ plus New Yorkers requires more than awareness.

5:44

It requires tangible action.

5:46

As lawmakers and governmental officials, we need to be thoughtfully and intentionally creating policies that not only respond to immediate needs, but also address the systemic inequities that place LGBTQ plus New Yorkers at greater risk of homelessness.

6:00

We hope that today's hearing will inform an assessment of how we can reduce the barriers that LGBTQ plus people experience when it comes to achieving housing stability and financial sustainability more generally.

6:11

Thank you for your commitment to this important issue, and I look forward to today's discussion.

6:15

And I'd like to conclude by thanking the committee staff for their work on this hearing, Aminta Kilowan, Panina Rosenberg, Justin Campos, Farija Ramon, and Elizabeth Childers Garcia.

6:24

And I'd also like to thank my staff, Andrew Wright, Alika Ruentan, and Demi Brown.

6:29

Thank you.

6:30

Thank you, Chair Hudson.

6:32

I'd like to thank the members of the Women and Gender Equity Committee and the General Welfare Committee who've joined us today.

6:37

I'd also like to thank Committee staff, Julia Goldsmith, Pinkham, Katie Selena, and Ali Stolfer, as well as my own staff, Dan Curtin and Josephine Caras for their work on today's hearing.

6:48

I would like to remind everyone who wishes to testify in person today that you must fill out a witness slip when you, which you can find on the desk of the sergeant at arms in the back of the room near the entrance.

6:58

Please fill out the slip even if you have already registered in advance that you will be testifying in person today.

7:04

If you wish to testify on any of the legislation, please indicate on the witness slip whether you are here to testify in favor of or in opposition to the legislation.

7:11

I also want to point out that we will not be voting on any legislation today.

7:16

To allow as many people as possible to testify, testimony will be limited to two minutes per person, whether you're testifying in person or on Zoom.

7:24

I'm also going to ask my colleagues to limit their questions and comments to five minutes.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Homelessness█████████████████████████████████████████████90%

Procedural██4%

Youth Programs██3%

Disability Rights█2%

Public Safety█1%

Summary of Proceedings

Joint Oversight Hearing: Housing Instability Among LGBTQ+ Individuals in NYC – June 24, 2026

The Committees on General Welfare (Chair Crystal Hudson) and Women and Gender Equity (Chair Amanda Farías) held a joint oversight hearing on June 24, 2026, to examine housing instability among LGBTQ+ individuals in New York City. The hearing featured testimony from the Mayor’s Office of LGBTQI Affairs, the Department of Social Services (DSS), the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD), and 14 public witnesses. No legislation was voted on.

Public Comments & Testimony

Alex Guevara (Ali Forney Center) shared personal experience of homelessness and described Marsha’s House (a DHS shelter) as feeling “like a prison,” with deadnaming and disrespectful staff. They urged hiring LGBTQ+ staff and expanding voucher access.
Chaitanya Gudrati (Youth Action Board) cited that 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ+ despite being 5–10% of the general youth population. They called for a $15 million LGBTQ+ immigrant fund.
Nedalyn Helena Diaz (Housing Works) referenced Trevor Project data that 28% of LGBTQ+ youth have experienced homelessness or housing instability. She supported a $10 million fund for those involved in the sex trade and the $15 million immigrant fund.
Brian Ellicott Cook (Sage) noted that 40% of LGBTQ+ older adults live below the poverty line and that the number of adults 55+ in shelter increased 250% from 2004 to 2017. He recommended proactive safety signals to encourage self-identification.
Nadia Swanson (Ali Forney Center) reported 400 youth on a waitlist for crisis beds, up from 300 last year, and a 0 waitlist when vouchers were available. She called for raising the per-bed rate from $50K to $80K and for restoring voucher access.
Ava Jacru (case manager) described an administrative barrier: IDNYC requires a photo ID to get a photo ID. She proposed adding DHS to the list of agencies that can vouch for identity, as many clients lack documents.
Ethan Lowe (Legal Aid Society) recommended expanding affirming shelter capacity, increasing awareness of TGNC placement rights, and expanding the capacity of DSS LGBTQ+ Affairs.
Timothy Pena (Navy veteran) testified about unsafe conditions at Borden Avenue Veterans Residence, including 1,365 emergency calls in 16 months (one every nine hours). He called for better oversight.
Dr. Henry Love (Point Source Youth) urged funding for the Targeted Housing Assistance Program (TAP), citing a Johns Hopkins evaluation showing 98% of TAP recipients had no shelter contact in six months. He shared personal stories of friends who died due to housing instability.
David Miranda (Manhattan Legal Services) described a client (Ms. W) denied a HASA voucher for five years due to rent being too low, forcing her and her daughter into shelter. He highlighted the foster-care-to-homelessness pipeline for LGBTQ+ youth.
Mateo Guerrero (Make the Road NY) recounted three stories of trans migrant clients facing discrimination, police involvement, and housing loss. He urged the city to end its lawsuit against the CityFHEPS expansion and to allocate more housing vouchers.
Virtual Testimony: Atta Multone (Project Renewal) noted that Marsha’s House placed 28 residents into permanent housing in FY26. Erica Larshbaugh (Interact) reported that intersex people are 4x more likely to need housing assistance and urged passage of Intro 131 to add explicit intersex protections to the Human Rights Law.

Discussion Items

Mayor’s Office of LGBTQI Affairs (Director Taylor Brown) testified that the office is two months old and still in a planning phase. Planned work includes agency policy audits, program evaluations, stakeholder convenings, and executive-level strategy. Brown stated the office will absorb the Unity Project and keep its housing guide up to date. Budget negotiations are ongoing; the office has allocations for staffing and some programmatic work.
Department of Social Services (Commissioner Aaron Dalton and Deputy Commissioner Sonia Russell) reported: All DSS/DHS/HRA staff must complete LGBTQ+ inclusion training within 90 days and every two years thereafter. There are 192 dedicated TGNC beds across four boroughs (21 in Bronx, 5 in Brooklyn, 159 in Queens, 7 in Manhattan). ACES Place (the first TGNC-specific shelter) has 150 beds but currently houses 109 individuals. A TGNC client advisory group will begin meeting later in 2026. DSS tracks complaints: in FY25-26 (through June 16, 2026), there were 92 reports of gender discrimination, TGNC discrimination, harassment, or retaliation across DHS and HRA shelters. Regarding data, a voluntary sexual orientation and gender identity survey at intake yields low participation, so official counts (e.g., 478 LGBTQ+ individuals in DHS shelters on a typical day) are acknowledged as severe undercounts.
Department of Youth and Community Development (Associate Commissioner Wanda Asherill) reported: 38% of youth in residential RHY programs and 42% in drop-in centers identify as LGBTQ+. DYCD serves over 40,000 young people annually across 863 beds for 16–24 year olds and an additional 160 beds for 21–24 year olds (50 beds opening soon). Street outreach teams cover parks, subways, and other areas based on real-time data. Of youth exiting RHY programs, 15% return home, 20% go to friends/relatives, 12% move to independent living, and 42% go to other services (crisis, foster care, DHS shelters, supportive housing). Family reunification services are driven by youth choice.
Councilmembers questioned the effectiveness of trainings, the low self-identification rates, the need for proactive outreach, and the oversight of ACES Place following reports of subpar conditions and harassment. They also discussed the lack of dedicated beds in Staten Island and the need for better data collection while protecting privacy.

Key Outcomes

No votes were taken.
Committee chairs directed agencies to provide follow-up data, including five-year trends on youth housing outcomes, breakdowns of entry pathways into RHY shelters, and incident data from 911 calls and provider-level complaints.
Councilmembers urged agencies to be more proactive in encouraging self-identification at intake and to assess training effectiveness with post-training evaluations.
DSS committed to launching the TGNC client advisory group in Fall 2026 and to continuing work on the Shelter Accessibility Advisory Board’s recommendations (e.g., escorts to transit for TGNC clients).
The hearing will inform future budget and policy decisions, including potential funding for the $15 million LGBTQ+ immigrant fund, the $4.7 million TAP program, and increased per-bed rates for RHY providers.
The committee expressed interest in legislative action, such as adding DHS to the list of agencies that can vouch for IDNYC and passing Intro 131 for explicit intersex protections.

Meeting Transcript

Good morning and welcome to today's New York City Council hearing for the committees on women and gender equity joint with general welfare. At this time, we ask that you please silence all cell phones and electronic devices to minimize disruptions throughout the hearing. If you wish to testify, please see a sergeant arms for assistance. At any time throughout today's proceeding, please do not approach the dais. We thank you for your kind cooperation. Chairs, we are ready to begin. Good morning, everyone. I'm Councilmember Amanda Fadias, Chair of the Committee on Women and Gender Equity. I'm excited to be joined by the Chair of the Committee on General Welfare, Councilmember Crystal Hudson for today's hearing on housing instability among LGBTQ plus individuals in New York City. As we celebrate Pride Month here in New York, it is important to recognize the reality of the LGBT plus community's ongoing struggles, one of them being that in the United States, LGBTQ plus individuals are more likely to face housing insecurity than non-LGBTQ people. When we look back at the origins of Pride at the 1969 Stonewall riots, we are reminded that the modern LGBTQ plus liberation movement was largely formed by housing insecure people. The Stonewall Bar was a haven for young LGBTQ plus individuals who had nowhere else to go. Housing injustice and LGBTQ plus rights have been the in have been intertwined since the beginning. Today, LGBTQ plus individuals continue to face challenges in accessing safe, stable, and affordable housing. Often this begins tragically early when many young people are forced to leave their homes due to family rejection or unsupportive environments. Almost half of all homeless youth in New York City identified as LGBTQ plus, and one in four have experienced homelessness or housing insecurity at one point in their lives. But these challenges often persist throughout an LGBTQ plus person's life with LGBTQ plus elders facing high risks of being turned away from or being charged or being charges higher charged with higher rents at independent or assisted living centers. As nationwide, 48% of LGBTQ plus seniors experience discrimination when applying for housing. For LGBTQ plus individuals, the challenges don't end when they gain access to shelter services. Many experience discrimination, harassment, and even violence when seeking support. Furthermore, if staff are not equipped to serve LGBTQ people, it can often lead to additional harm, especially when staff fails to honor a person's gender identity and houses a person based on their sex assigned at birth rather than where the person feels the safest. New York City has historically been a progressive leader and a safe haven for individuals of all gender and genders and sexual orientations, boasting the largest population of LGBTQ plus people of any U.S. metro area. Our city needs to bolster our support of housing services for LGBTQ people and the development of more affordable and supportive housing options for this community. So today we'll ask the administration how you are working to address housing instability among LGBTQ plus individuals in New York City. What specific housing resources are available to the LGBTQ plus community, and what trainings are available available for people working in shelters around engagement with LGBT plus individuals. Now I'd like to invite Chair Hudson to deliver her opening remarks. Thank you so much. Good morning, and welcome to today's oversight hearing. I'm Crystal Hudson, General Welfare Committee Chair, and my pronouns are she her. I would like to also thank Councilmember Fideas, who, from my own personal experience as well as my professional experience working with her, puts allyship into action. And I'd like to thank the Committee on Women and Gender Equity for joining the Committee on General Welfare and holding this hearing. Additionally, we are joined by Council members Viles, Ung, Morano on Zoom, Wilson, and El Deball. Despite New York City's reputation as a place of inclusion, LGBTQ plus individuals, particularly transgender and gender nonconforming people, LGBTQ plus youth, and LGBTQ plus people of color remain disproportionately impacted by housing insecurity. Many are forced from their homes due to family rejection. Many face barriers to accessing safe and affirming shelters, and many encounter discrimination when seeking permanent affordable housing. Compounded by rising rents, a shortage of affordable housing, and economic inequality that continues to affect our most vulnerable neighbors. The challenges can feel insurmountable. New York City's overall homelessness crisis continues to grow, with tens of thousands of people residing in shelters nightly. Within this broader crisis, LGBTQ plus individuals, particularly transgender people, youth, and people of color face unique barriers to obtaining and maintaining stable housing. In the LGBTQ plus homeless youth provider survey, providers reported that being forced out by parents or they ran away because of their sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression was a primary reason for homelessness in over 55% of their LGBTQ youth clients over and over 67% of their transgender clients, with general family issues underlying homelessness for an additional 16.5% of LGBTQ and 7.3% of transgender clients. Among respondents to the most recent US transgender survey, 70% of respondents who experienced homelessness and stayed in a shelter the previous year reported some form of mistreatment, including being harassed, assaulted, or kicked out because of being transgender. More than 36% of respondents who experienced homelessness in the previous year avoided staying in shelter because they feared being mistreated as a transgender person. We recognize that addressing housing instability among LGBTQ plus New Yorkers requires more than awareness. It requires tangible action. As lawmakers and governmental officials, we need to be thoughtfully and intentionally creating policies that not only respond to immediate needs, but also address the systemic inequities that place LGBTQ plus New Yorkers at greater risk of homelessness. We hope that today's hearing will inform an assessment of how we can reduce the barriers that LGBTQ plus people experience when it comes to achieving housing stability and financial sustainability more generally. Thank you for your commitment to this important issue, and I look forward to today's discussion. And I'd like to conclude by thanking the committee staff for their work on this hearing, Aminta Kilowan, Panina Rosenberg, Justin Campos, Farija Ramon, and Elizabeth Childers Garcia. And I'd also like to thank my staff, Andrew Wright, Alika Ruentan, and Demi Brown.

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