(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Bowser and the Mayor’s Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Questioning (LGBTQ) Affairs awarded a combined $75,000 in grant funding to eight community-based organizations that serve LGBTQ residents and LGBTQ residents experiencing homelessness in Washington, DC.

The LGBTQ Homeless Youth Training Grant is intended to facilitate trainings on cultural competency and creating safe spaces for LGBTQ homeless youth, and the Youth Empowerment and Self-Sufficiency (YESS) Grant is intended to strengthen the organizational capacity, support leadership development, and ensure sustainability among nonprofits serving LGBTQ youth and young adults in DC.

The Fiscal Year 2021 LGBTQ Community Grant awardees are:

Youth Empowerment and Self-Sufficiency (YESS) Community Grant

• Breaking Ground (fiscal sponsor: SMYAL) will teach LGBTQ youth how to use the expressive power of storytelling to unpack experiences faced by the LGBTQ community.
• Casa Ruby will bring some of their already successful services to Ward 8 at their drop-in center.
• Latin American Youth Center will provide emergency care, drop-in center services and supplies to run away, homeless and unstably housed LGBTQ youth.
• Metro DC Community Center will bring a multi-pronged approach to assist homeless LGBTQ youth with resources such as ID Card Assistance, storage units, laundry and clothing services.
• Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates & Leaders (SMYAL) will bring “Supporting Healthy Living & Green Transportation” program for the LGBTQ homeless youth they serve.
• Total Family Care Coalition will provide resources and support to help LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness reconnect with their family.
• The Wanda Alston Foundation will provide 18 month transitional housing, behavioral and mental health services to LGBTQ youth.
• Young Playwrights’ Theater, Inc. will provide a creative and theatrical space for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness to pursue social justice.

The LGBTQ Homeless Youth Training Grant

• SMYAL and Casa Ruby will provide cultural competency trainings to LGBTQ homeless youth shelter providers.

The grant funding is aligned with the Bowser Administration’s priorities and is intended to enhance existing community programs focused on education, job and economic development, public safety, civic engagement, health and wellness, youth engagement, and arts and the creative economy. Organizations were selected based on the degree to which they meet these priorities and target their efforts toward underserved LGBTQ communities.