Asia’s House Offers Safe Shelter for LGBTQ+ Youth in Houston

Asia’s House, a new six-bed LGBTQ+ youth-affirming emergency shelter, will now serve Houston-area young people ages 15–17 who are experiencing homelessness or have run away. Opened on September 1, 2026, the facility offers a safe place to stay, intensive case management, and a route to family reunification or other stable housing. True Colors United estimates that as many as 40% of young people experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ.

Montrose Grace Place and the Montrose Center jointly established the shelter. Grace Place oversees operations, staffing, and grant compliance, while the Montrose Center financed the initial lease and staffing and continues to advise Grace Place and offer vital referral services.

Since 2010, Grace Place has supported Houston youth experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity by providing safety, food, supportive relationships, and hope. The Montrose Center, founded in 1978, is Houston’s LGBTQ community center and serves more than 60,000 people each year.

Asia’s House is named in honor of Asia Jynaé Foster, a young trans woman of color, community advocate, and member of the Grace Place community who was murdered in Houston in 2020. Foster had often spoken about the need for this type of support for trans youth.

The shelter welcomes all eligible young people, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Youth may seek assistance without a referral or an adult signing them in. Under Texas law, minors may receive emergency shelter without parental consent when their physical health or safety is in immediate danger. To safeguard residents’ privacy and security, the shelter’s location remains confidential.

Programs funded under the federal Runaway and Homeless Youth Act must make and document an effort to contact a parent or guardian, generally within 72 hours, while treating the young person’s safety as the determining factor. The program pursues reunification when it is safe and appropriate; otherwise, it focuses on securing stable housing and lasting support.

As an emergency shelter, Asia’s House aims to place each young person in long-term housing within 21 days. Its services include case management, on-site counseling, life-skills training, education and employment assistance, and aftercare. Intensive street outreach is also central to the program because young people may be couch surfing, sleeping in a car, or staying with someone unsafe rather than living visibly on the street.

The shelter addresses a major regional gap for 15- to 17-year-olds who leave home and have few alternatives. Adult shelters cannot accept minors, most youth facilities serve people ages 18 and older, and child-protection involvement may be limited for older teenagers.

A kick-off ceremony took place on August 17, 2026, at Living Mosaic Church in Montrose. Courtney Sellers, executive director of Grace Place, noted that trans teens and other LGBTQ youth face heightened risks of sex trafficking, substance abuse, and violence.

“At Asia’s House, we can accommodate six youth, each with their own bedroom and bathroom. This allows us to be trans-affirming in a state that’s actively seeking to harm and eliminate trans youth. It will be a safe and affirming place for all youth experiencing homelessness that recognizes their worthiness and their unique differences,” states Sellers.

“This excites me personally as someone who was a homeless queer youth; it really touches my heart,” says Avery Belyeu, CEO of the Montrose Center.

Danielle Stephen, Grace Place’s street outreach lead, adds, “I’m also a lived experience youth who was homeless under the age of 18. I know that Asia’s House will not only be a shelter that offers emergency stability but will also be a pathway to long-term stability.”

Asia’s House is located in District 146, represented by Texas State Representative Lauren Ashley Simmons, who comments, “This is what putting Pride into practice looks like. It means making sure that our young people are not only celebrated, but protected, supported, housed, and most importantly, loved.”

“As a mother and an organizer,” she continues, “I believe no young person should ever have to choose between being who they are and having a safe place to sleep. Sometimes community care looks exactly like this—a bed, a meal, a trusted adult, a safe space, and somebody saying you belong here.”

Mario Castillo, District H representative on the Houston City Council and one of its two openly LGBTQ members, remarks, “It continues to give me motivation and hope, to keep pushing on with our work. Today we celebrate this transformational and vital facility that we’re bringing to our LGBTQ youth.”

To learn more about Asia’s House and exclusive room sponsorship opportunities, visit tinyurl.com/asiashouse.

Remembering Asia Jynaé Foster

The Houston transgender advocate left a legacy of service, generosity, and support for LGBTQ+ youth.

Houston native Asia Jynaé Foster was an emerging transgender leader committed to confronting the persistent violence against trans women of color. Tragically, the 22-year-old trans woman’s advocacy ended with her own death on November 20, 2020.

The Houston Police Department determined that Foster had been shot and killed. The suspect was apprehended in 2022, convicted, and sentenced in 2025 to 33 years in prison.

Courtney Sellers, executive director of Montrose Grace Place, knew Foster for more than four years. “She was an extremely outgoing person who drew other people to her. She had a special and big personality, and a sharp wit.”

The July 29, 2019, murder of Foster’s close friend Tracy Single affected her deeply. Foster created a memorial shadow box for Single, inviting friends at Grace Place to fill it with items that reminded them of her.

Foster had recently bought a car and begun working for the Postmates delivery service. Sellers says that, despite having her own transportation, Foster often requested bus passes and gave them to friends in need. “She was a very giving person.”

She had also secured an apartment. Even as her own life became more stable, Foster continued supporting LGBTQ youth who were still struggling.

Organizers at Tony’s Place recall that Foster had been active there since about 2017, when she began her transition. “She was always well-dressed, with a long sun dress, sandals, handbag, and beautiful makeup.”

Foster frequently volunteered for outreach, seeking out homeless youth who needed HIV and STD testing. She also served with the Open Gate program at Bering Memorial United Church of Christ, where she signed in visitors and spoke with people during the social hour. She loved standing beside the piano in the social area and singing.

Foster helped organize Houston’s 2018 and 2019 Transgender Day of Remembrance events. After Single’s death, she supported local trans activists by facilitating communication with Single’s family and the funeral home. She is remembered for approaching those responsibilities with seriousness and mature professionalism.

Close friend Brandon Williams met Foster at Tony’s Place in 2018. “She was a good person all around. She had a very bubbly personality,” he recalls. The two often talked about fashion. Williams remembers that Foster called him first thing in the morning simply to make sure he was okay. They frequently met up and spent time together. “It was best-friends stuff,” he says.

Janae Chambers, another close friend who met Foster through Bering Open Gate, remembers her generosity and warmth. “When she had extra resources, she was very sharing. She was always laughing and trying to keep other peoples’ spirits up.”