Casa Ruby was a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit that provided services for homeless individuals who identified as LGBT as well as the Latino population within the region. Founded in 1994 by immigrant transgender activist Ruby Corado, the organization grew to a budget of over $4 million by 2020. By 2022, the organization shut down after a loss in funding due to allegations of financial mismanagement by Corado. Corado later fled the United States but was later arrested, and was awaiting sentencing as of April 2025.  ^{1 2}

History and Background

Casa Ruby was founded in 1994 by trans activist Ruby Corado. Corado was initially born in El Salvador as a biological male and immigrated to the United States in the 1980s; Corado later began identifying as a transgender woman. Corado first became involved in activism in 2004 when lobbying for the DC Human Rights Act to include protections for trans individuals. That year, Corado founded Latinos/as En Accion as a nonprofit supporting homeless LGBT-identifying Latino youths in Washington, D.C through providing shelter and other community services. The organization received tax-exempt status in 2006. ^{1 3}

In 2012, Latinos/as En Accion was renamed as Casa Ruby. The group began offering additional services including shelter services, providing additional provisions such clothing, work training programs, and an HIV prevention clinic. ^{1 3}

In 2014, Casa Ruby worked on the transition team for Washington D.C Mayor Muriel Bowser (D). ¹

In 2019, Casa Ruby earned $3.5 million in grants, $2.4 million of which came from government grants. ¹

From 2016 to 2022, Casa Ruby received over $9 million in grants from the Washington, D.C. government. ⁴

Controversy and Closure

According to interviews with former Casa Ruby employees, the organization received criticism over unsanitary conditions, improper conduct within the workplace such as drug use, and late payments to staff despite Corado spending on luxury items. ¹

From 2018 through 2022, the Corado and the organization faced up to six lawsuits from landlords over unpaid rent and property damage. As of 2025, one had been settled, one dismissed, and one outstanding, with three others dismissed following Casa Ruby’s closure in 2022,.  ¹

Between 2018 to 2021, the D.C. Department of Human Services (DHS) received 337 complaints from Casa Ruby employees. ¹

In September 2021, Corado announced the closure of Casa Ruby’s R Street shelter due to a loss of funding from DHS. Corado launched a GoFundMe page to ask for donations and raised $180,000, though no employees ever received these funds. ¹

Corado later resigned from Casa Ruby via a video posted on Facebook, alleging it was due to the DHS cutting off grant funding to the organization after Corado had filed an administrative complaint against an employee and claiming allegations about salary and spending were rooted in “transphobia.” ¹

Post-Closure

In 2022, Ruby Corado reportedly sold her house while ceasing communications with Casa Ruby. The organization later ran out of grant funding and shut down in July of that year. ¹

In August 2022, after Corado had reportedly moved back to El Salvador, the Office of the D.C. Attorney General filed a complaint to freeze Casa Ruby’s remaining assets on the grounds that Corado may have been embezzling over $800,000 in funds from the organization’s accounts to create a branch of Casa Ruby in El Salvador. The request was granted by a judge, and the remainder of Casa Ruby’s assets were transferred to D.C.-based homeless advocacy group Wanda Alston Foundation. Following the transition, the Wanda Alston Foundation announced it had discovered $2 million in debts for Casa Ruby with “no meaningful assets.” ¹

In March 2024, Corado returned to the United States and was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on charges of money laundering and fraud. According to investigators, Corado had allegedly taken COVID-19 relief funding Casa Ruby had received and placed it in foreign bank accounts for personal use. ⁴

Corado later accepted a plea deal requiring a plea of guilty to one count of wire fraud. In March 2025, Corado’s sentencing was postponed for a third time due to undisclosed health issues. ²

1. Peterson, Benny R. ““She Developed A Culture of Madness”: Inside the Casa Ruby Scandal.” Washingtonian. June 1, 2023. Accessed June 26, 2025. https://www.washingtonian.com/2023/06/01/the-fall-of-casa-ruby/.
2. Chibbaro Jr., Lou. “Ruby Corado sentencing postponed for third time.” Washington Blade. April 28, 2025. Accessed June 26, 2025. https://www.washingtonblade.com/2025/04/28/ruby-corado-sentencing-postponed-third-time/.
3. Riley, John. “Casa Ruby Marks Second Anniversary.” Metro Weekly. May 23, 2014. Accessed June 26, 2025. https://www.metroweekly.com/2014/05/casa-ruby-marks-second-anniversary/.
4. “Lessons from a Disgraced LGBT Nonprofit.” City Journal. June 4, 2025. Accessed June 26, 2025. https://www.city-journal.org/article/casa-ruby-corado-wire-fraud-doge-nonprofits-funding.