transheadlinesTGNC individuals will have a year’s time to find other suitable accommodations to let others take advantage of the program too
By: Chris Gilmore/Trans Headlines
Recently, San Francisco’s unveiled the very first ever transitional housing project to assist the transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) community. In attendance to the ribbon-cutting ceremony was the city’s Mayor London Breed, herself, according to the San Francisco Examiner.
A city allocation of $2.3 million will fund the Chinatown 13-unit housing project for two years as well as “provide rent support for TGNC people facing eviction and advocacy for institutional change,” reported the publication. The program is an ongoing work conducted by the Our Trans Home SF* initiative.
Trans and GNC people in San Francisco are 18 times more likely to experience homelessness, according to Our Trans Home SF’s website.
“Every day our trans community struggles to find affordable and inclusive housing, despite Trump’s ongoing attacks San Francisco continues to have some of the strongest non-discrimination protections, although our ongoing housing crisis continues to impact our diverse community,” said Breed, as described by Bay Area Reporter. The first eight residents should approximately move into two of the building’s apartments by mid-February, reported the publication. More are scheduled to move in this summer.
According to Project Out, Inc., respondents from a study by the National Transgender Discrimination Survey revealed that members of this community live in extreme poverty. And, respondents who had lost a job due to bias also experienced ruinous consequences such as four times the rate of homelessness, 70% more current drinking or misuse of drugs to cope with mistreatment, 85% more incarceration, more than double the rate working in the underground economy, and more than double the HIV infection rate, compared to those who did not lose a job due to bias.
“Our sample was nearly four times more likely to have a household income of less than $10,000/year compared to the general population,” the survey results found.
A gay man and his partner, who wish to remain anonymous, own the Chinatown building where the apartments are located. The building is being rented to Our Trans Home SF at a rate significantly below market value, according to The Bay Area Reporter.
Those moving into the Washington Street apartments must know they will be expected to actively look for employment, working, or be attending school. The on-site support staff will assist them in those goals as well as finding their own housing next winter when their 12 months are up, reported that news outlet.
*Our Trans Home SF was directly contacted for this story, but no response was received by this publication’s deadline.