Grace Place and the Montrose Center Announce Asia's House, Houston's First LGBTQ-Affirming Emergency Shelter for Youth Ages 15-17

The six-bedroom shelter is named for Asia Jynaé Foster and opens September 1.

HOUSTON, Aug. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Until now, the closest LGBTQ-affirming shelter bed for a 16-year-old fleeing an unsafe home in Houston was in Austin, 150 miles away. Today, Grace Place and the Montrose Center unveiled Asia's House, a six-bedroom emergency shelter that gives Greater Houston youth somewhere to go.

Asia's House is named for Asia Jynaé Foster, a young transgender Houstonian and member of the Grace Place community who was murdered in 2020. She had called for exactly this kind of support.

"Asia told us what young people here needed, and she was right. Building this in her name means the young person who walks through our door at 16 doesn't have to prove anything to anyone to be safe tonight," said Courtney Sellers, Executive Director of Grace Place. "We are not asking them for permission slips. We are asking them what they need."

How the program works

• Ages 15–17 in Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties, open to all sexualities and gender identities
• Referrals through street outreach, school partnerships and a 24-hour hotline
• Entry is voluntary
• Safe and stable long-term housing placement the goal
• Staff contact a parent or guardian within 72 hours; the youth's safety governs any return home
• On site: case management, counseling, life skills training, tutoring and employment support, plus behavioral health care and substance use treatment available through the Montrose Center
• Funded in part through a grant from the federal Runaway and Homeless Youth Act, administered by Grace Place

A partnership years in the making

Grace Place has served unhoused LGBTQ+ young people in Houston since 2010, but has never operated a dedicated shelter until now. The Montrose Center, which provides housing services from young adults ages 18-24, contributed startup funding for the lease and staffing and advises Grace Place leadership as the organization nearly doubles in size.

"We are proud to partner with Grace Place and support the launch of Asia's House, which fills a significant gap in Houston's housing landscape," said Avery Belyeu, CEO of the Montrose Center. "This was a natural fit: two organizations in the same ecosystem working collaboratively to ensure LGBTQ+ youth have a safe and affirming place to call home".

About Grace Place

Grace Place is a Houston nonprofit providing safety, community and support to young people of all sexualities and genders experiencing homelessness. Learn more at https://www.montrosegraceplace.org.

About the Montrose Center

Established in 1978, the Montrose Center is the leading LGBTQ+ service organization in Greater Houston, empowering the community to live healthier, more fulfilling lives through a wide range of social services, programs, and resources. Learn more at https://www.montrosecenter.org.

Media kit: https://montrosecenter.org/asias-house-media — approved photography, broadcast-cleared b-roll, and this release

Interviews with Courtney Sellers and Avery Belyeu are available on request. The shelter's location is undisclosed and it is not available for filming, and no youth will be made available for interviews.

SOURCE the Montrose Center