The Golden Girls actress had been a longtime advocate for the gay community, and left behind $300,000 to the Ali Forney Center, an organisation dedicated to helping homeless LGBT youths live independently, when she died in 2009.
Bosses at the non-profit decided to take her donation and use it to help build The Bea Arthur Residence, an 18-bed shelter in Manhattan providing on-site counselling and case management to its residents.
The organisation had been struggling to stay open prior to Arthur’s death, causing the actress to dedicate her time and money to help keep the facility running.
The Bea Arthur Residence is slated to open in early 2017.