PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia has its first reentry housing dedicated to LGBTQ+ women and gender-expansive adults.
Sappho Fulton cut the ribbon Wednesday on a refurbished rowhouse in West Philadelphia that will provide housing for up to eight people as they reenter the community after incarceration.
It has been a dream come true for Fulton, a lesbian ex-offender who spent nearly 20 years as an advocate doing rehabilitative work in prisons after spending 20 years incarcerated. She said supportive transitional housing saved her from returning to a life of crime.
“It was the authentic love, it was the home, it was the cleanliness,” she said. “I had my own room. I said, ‘I want to give this back to someone else because this is what worked for me.’”
Fulton said she especially wanted to give back to the LGBTQ+ community. “We are the most marginalized folks,” she said. “We go to these other houses and then we have to compromise our life experiences.”
The house was named “Atunse,” a Yoruba word meaning restoration or repair, by Fulton’s nonprofit, Womxn Beyond Borders.
Surveys have shown housing is the number one need for people returning from prison. Assata Thomas, executive director of the city’s Office of Reentry Partnerships, called it a public safety issue.
“If we’re serious about creating safer neighborhoods, reducing recidivism and strengthening families, then we must be equally serious about ensuring that people returning home have access to housing, support, opportunity and belonging,” Thomas said.
Beth McConnell, deputy executive director of policy and programs for the city’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity Office, said there are only about 200 dedicated units, mostly for people with severe behavioral health problems. Because of that, she called Atunse a welcome development.
“This is part of a movement, I think, of providing more opportunities like this,” she said. “To have a landlord that says, ‘You are welcome here, we understand the challenges that you’re experiencing and we’re going to build programming that specifically supports you and your needs,’ is really important and really useful.”
Fulton envisions providing support and services for her future tenants, who will ideally stay for up to 12 months while finding a permanent home. Atunse still needs furniture and appliances, so she is accepting donations.
