Bea Arthur Shelter for LGBT Homeless Youth in NYC to Open in Early 2017

In early 2017, homeless LGBT youth in New York City will be thanking late "Golden Girls" star Bea Arthur for being a friend when an 18-bed shelter operated by the Ali Forney Center opens in the East Village.

According to DNAInfo, The Bea Arthur Residence is slated for completion in February of 2017 and is expected to be open for business shortly after completion. The project is named after the beloved actress and gay icon who died in 2009.

Arthur, who had long been a friend of the Ali Forney Center, bequeathed the organization $300,000 in her will. In her later years in 2005, she performed at a benefit for the then struggling LGBT youth service group.

"I'm very, very involved in charities involving youth. These kids at the Ali Forney Center are literally dumped by their families because of the fact that they are lesbian, gay or transgender -- this organization really is saving lives," Arthur said in an article published prior to her passing.

The building, located at 222 East 13th Street is an existing structure that has been undergoing a gut-renovation since July of 2015. When completed, the site will provide beds, on-site counseling, and case management to the city's homeless LGBT youth.

The Ali Forney Center is the nation's largest organization dedicated to homeless LGBT youth, AFC is committed to providing these at-risk people with safe, dignified, nurturing environments where their needs for housing and support can be met, and where they can begin to put their lives back together. AFC is also dedicated to promoting awareness of the plight of homeless LGBT youth in the United States with the goal of generating responses on local and national levels from government funders, foundations, and the LGBT community.