To mark this week’s observation of Trans Day of Visibility, a new facility has opened for formerly incarcerated transgender women in Atlanta.
The Ts Madison Starter House is a new Sisterhood Alliance for Freedom and Equality (SAFE) reentry home for trans women returning to the community following incarceration. The home is named after and led by the trans reality TV personality and actress in partnership with philanthropist Dominique Morgan.
“This new home will be a space where trans people can receive different kinds of support without fear of retraumatization or harassment, spaces where processing and healing from trauma becomes possible,” Madison said. “As someone who has personally experienced the pain of rejection and the struggle for survival, I know how life-changing it is to have a safe place to go home to. With this new home, we are letting Black trans women know they are not alone, they are not forgotten, and they are worthy of every opportunity to heal and thrive.”
The initiative from Madison is rooted in her lived experience as a Black trans women who navigated homelessness and survival sex work.
The house is part of A New Way of Life’s SAFE Housing Network, an international collective of more than 30 organizations dedicated to offering services for formerly incarcerated women. Since opening its first homes in 2019, the SAFE Housing Network has housed more than 700 formerly incarcerated people and has provided other services to nearly 12,000 people.
Every year, almost 2.5 million are released from jails and prisons and face countless barriers to reentry into society. Lack of access to housing is a primary driver for recidivism, and Black trans people experience disproportionate rates of housing instability and higher rates of incarceration. While recidivism rates nationwide hover around 65 percent, the recidivism rate is just six perfect among residents of A New Way Of Life homes.
The Ts Madison Starter House will welcome up to five women into a safe, affirming, and transformative space by and for Black trans women. You can support the Ts Madison Starter House by making a donation here.
