Mahoning Valley’s first LGBTQIA+ adult shelter in progress, aim to open in March
For the last decade, Full Spectrum Community Outreach has been focused on advocating and supporting members of the LGBTQIA+ community in and around Youngstown.
Tim Bortner is the co-founder and president of the non-profit organization, and Katie Coriston is the operations manager.
“At least once or twice a week, we get a call from someone, ‘I was just kicked out of my house. I am living in my car. I don’t know what to do, and I’m scared,’” Coriston said. “It’s so hard to get those calls and not be able to help. We try to call different shelters proactively for clients, and we get turned down, too. At the end of the day, I still have a home to go to that’s warm and safe. Everyone deserves that.”
Since purchasing the Hope House Visitation Center in 2023, Full Spectrum has had this as a major goal: creating a 60-day transitional shelter for LGBTQIA+ adults to stay.
While that remains a long-term goal, the urgent needs of the community caused Bortner, Coriston and fellow Full Spectrum leaders to shift their immediate focus.
Right now, many of Full Spectrum’s clients who are unhoused aren’t able to access local shelters because they are LGBTQIA+, according to Coriston and Bortner.
“The reality of it is, is we have clients right now living in their cars, outside of cars, living in tents right now in Youngstown, behind buildings in this cold weather,” Bortner said. “Something’s better than nothing at this point.”
To respond to this need from the community, an emergency shelter is in progress to open this year, according to Coriston, and it’ll be the Mahoning Valley’s first-ever LGBTQIA+ adult transitional shelter.
It’ll start as a one-to-two day emergency housing shelter, aiming to opening in March, with plans to become a 60-day transitional shelter in the future as resources grow.
This adjusted approach will let Full Spectrum start serving clients sooner, on a case-by-case basis, according to Bortner.
“For me, this is about doing what I can to make the world a little bit of a better place. It takes a community, and not everybody has that,” Coriston said. “People need access to food, washing clothes, the closet of change which has makeup and gender-affirming items that helps when you’re homeless and don’t have a chance to take your normal routine with you. Having access to things like toiletries and phone chargers are very important to be in a normal routine.”
Admission for the shelter will be by referral. In the new emergency shelter, clients will have access to mental health counseling and therapy through partners at Natura Behavioral Health.
“People have been offering to come help and volunteer to take a shift. A lot of people are interested, which is excellent, and we need help, but we also understand it’s a tough time for a lot of people financially, not everyone has extra money to take time off work, to come and volunteer,” Coriston said. “That’s why we have to imply staff right away, like within the first 60 to 90 days. That’s our goal, to have that in place 24/7, and then just kind of grow from there.”
Clients will also have access to referrals to healthcare providers for vital services and Full Spectrum classes, support groups, events and resources.
“We have two bathrooms, so we’re taking one bathroom and making a toilet out to make it into a kitchenette and locker room so they have access to a computer, microwave and fridge,” Coriston said.
Support Full Spectrum’s Housing Division at upcoming events like the Annual Winter Gala on Feb. 21 at DiVieste’s Banquet Center in Warren featuring a DJ and a drag show.
This story was originally published January 22, 2026 at 1:29 PM.
