SF to provide housing subsidies for low-income transgender, gender non-conforming residents

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - Low-income transgender and gender non-conforming San Franciscans could be eligible for housing subsidies under a new city program, Mayor London Breed announced Thursday.

The Our Trans Home SF program will begin providing the subsidies through a two-year pilot program starting next month.

The mayor's office estimates that about 55 San Francisco households will receive the subsidies, providing $560,000 in direct financial 
assistance annually, in an effort to help curb homelessness in the city.

"The ongoing housing crisis in our City continues to impact our most marginalized communities, including members of our trans community who are eighteen times more likely to experience homelessness," Breed said in a statement.

"Meanwhile, the community continues to be under constant attack by the Federal Administration which is attempting to legalize discrimination and erase transgender people," she said. "The Our Trans Home SF program is a vital step forward in ensuring our trans community is housed, safe, and can thrive in San Francisco. As we work to end homelessness in our City, we must also work to keep people housed and this program will help us do just that."

San Francisco-based organizations St. James Infirmary and Larkin Street Youth Services have both been selected by the Mayor's Office of 
Housing and Community Development to be the main providers of the program.

"We are grateful to Mayor Breed and the Mayor's Office of Housing and Community Development for their steadfast commitment to support trans-led programs and their partnership to help end trans homelessness," Clair Farley, the director of the Office of Transgender Initiatives said. "The innovative Our Trans Home SF housing program will bring us closer to our goal and ensure that our trans community has a safe place to call home."