Of the estimated 20,000 teenagers living on the streets of New York City, almost half self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT). These teens have been thrown out of their homes or have run away from foster care because of homophobia, harassment, and physical abuse. Once on the streets, the majority of them turn to prostitution and drug use.

We created the Peter Cicchino Youth Project to reach out to these young people and help them stabilize their lives. Through this project, we have assisted thousands of teens to navigate the complicated channels of government benefits, access permanent housing, and continue their education.

Every week, we conduct legal clinics at drop-in centers for runaways and LGBT youth, where we counsel clients one-on-one. We also engage in systemic advocacy and impact litigation around issues such as the mistreatment of LGBT youth in New York City's foster care and juvenile detention systems. Finally, we work with LGBT young adults who are "aging" out of foster care, to ensure that they receive legally required discharge planning, and to give them the skills they need to successfully transition into independent, adult lives.

Our litigation and advocacy efforts have led to many positive reforms, including the establishment of foster care housing specifically for LGBT foster youth and increased training on LGBT issues for foster care workers.

To learn how to access our services, visit our Get Help link. For additional information, contact us at: pcyp@urbanjustice.org.