Ali Forney Center

About the project

The Ali Forney Center was founded in 2002 in memory of Ali Forney, a homeless gender-nonconforming youth who was forced to live on the streets, where they were tragically murdered. The Ali Forney Center is committed to saving the lives of LGBTQ+ young people, protecting them from homelessness and empowering them with the tools needed to live independently.

The Ali Forney Center is located in New York City.

LISC provided a $1.83 million loan to support the acquisition of a building that will serve as transitional housing for 18 homeless transgender young adults and to provide on-site programming and services for this population. This site will predominantly house transgender/gender non-conforming (TGNC) BIPOC individuals and will be staffed with folks with similar life experiences. The Ali Forney Center's pioneering Trans Service program, based out of the new facility, will provide transitional housing to serve this unmet need. Youth will live in a home-like congregate setting with shared bedrooms, bathrooms, and common spaces for up to two years. A stable, home-like environment with supportive services will enable TGNC youth to continue or complete their schooling and/or find work to move towards independence. The Nonprofit Finance Fund is the lead lender in this transaction; LISC's loan is a 50% participation.