Our Programs

Advancing housing justice and economic mobility for homeless LGBTQ+ youth in the Nation’s Capital since 2008!

Transitional Housing Program

The Wanda Alston Foundation is the first organization in DC to establish a housing program for homeless LGBTQ+ youth. Since 2008, we have helped LGBTQ+ youth prepare for life beyond our housing program by supporting them every step of the way toward independence.

The Facts

  • In DC, nearly 40% of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ+.

  • More than 2 out of 5 trans people in DC have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives.

  • 70% of District youth experiencing homelessness are Black and 18% identify as Latino or Hispanic.

Building Pathways Out of Homelessness
Our 20 residents in the apartment-style housing program work closely with a case manager to create a personalized plan that outlines their goals, from achieving stable housing to long-term aspirations such as completing their high school education, attending college, or building a career.

Our goal is simple: to make sure every young person leaves our program with not just a place to live, but tools, confidence, and experience to thrive on their own.

If you need gender-affirming housing services, please contact us here or call 202-465-8764
If you’re a young person seeking emergency housing, go here.

Counseling Center

The Counseling Center was founded in January 2022 to provide trauma-informed and culturally competent mental health services and support to the District’s LGBTQ+ people, who are survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, and/or anti-LGBTQ+ violence.

If you or someone you know is a survivor and needs support. Please email us here or call us at: 202-465-8764

The Facts

  • More than half (54%) of trans and non-binary people have experienced Intimate Partner Violence.

  • LGB women are significantly more likely than straight women to have ever experienced Intimate Partner Violence in their lifetime, reported by 61% of bisexual women and 44% of lesbian women.

  • A third of men in same-sex relationships experience emotional violence, a quarter face physical violence, and one in ten endure sexual violence.

  • LGBT people nine times more likely than non-LGBT people to be victims of violent hate crimes.

Research Lab

In response to today’s challenging environment for LGBTQ+ young people, the Wanda Alston Foundation will launch a research lab in 2026 to identify and analyze the pressing issues facing DC’s LGBTQ+ youth. This lab will collect survey data from lived experiences through surveys, interviews, focus groups, and other means to inform the community, shape public policy, and guide the organization’s future programming.

The last major research on the District’s LGBTQ+ population was conducted in 2013 by the Department of Health. We are building on that research and several others to inform our first major initiative: The State of DC’s LGBTQ+ Youth Annual Report.

Scholarship

Thanks to a partnership with Tagg Magazine, the Wanda Alston Foundation received over $10,000 from the Tagg Scholarship Fund to distribute in scholarships to queer women of color pursuing postsecondary education. Since the inception of the Tagg Scholarship Fund, it has awarded over $10,000 in scholarships to queer women of color.