San Francisco Mayor London Breed has announced a new $6.5 million plan to end homelessness in the city, but the only beneficiaries of the fund will be trans or gender nonconforming individuals.
Mayor Breed announced the plan in a press release on Tuesday, saying that the new program will end trans homelessness in San Francisco by the year 2027. $6 million will be spent over the next two years for short-term transgender rentals, with another $500,000 for “behavioural science health services” for those beneficiaries that need it.
“Transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming San Franciscans are 18 times more likely to experience homelessness compared to the general population, and we know that the rates are even higher for our minority trans communities,” Breed said in a statement.
The Mayor’s Office estimates that around 400 people in San Francisco who are transgender are experiencing homelessness at any one time.
“With one of the largest TGNC [transgender and gender nonconforming] populations in the country, we not only must ensure that all San Franciscans have access to housing and essential resources through continued investments, but we can show the country that we continue to be a leader on supporting and protecting our trans communities,” Breed added.
Today I announced my 5-year plan to end transgender homelessness in San Francisco, which includes investing in programs that support and create real long-term change in the lives of transgender people. @SF_HSH @SF_DPH @sfmohcd @TransCitySF https://t.co/mdEPEx01TS
— London Breed (@LondonBreed) May 31, 2022
The plan also includes around 150 long term investments into housing in the city for transgender individuals, as part of their Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool program. A trial of these subsidies was announced in October 2019, and lasted for two years before being incorporated into this newer plan.
A new “permanent supportive housing site” for transgender and LGBQ+ youth is also set to be created, with a declared focus on “transition age youth.” It is not clear what the Mayor’s office specifically meant by this phrase, with no definition of what age this would be provided as part of the statement.
The homelessness plan unsurprisingly received praise from transgender activists in San Francisco. “With the continued support of city partners and the guidance of TGNC community leaders and residents, I am certain we will successfully resolve homelessness for trans San Franciscans within the next five years,” said Aria Sa’id, president of the Transgender District.
“As trans people, we have had to be bold and resilient to even survive, and by ensuring that all our TGNC residents have a safe place to call home, we will open the door towards truly providing equitable housing and economic solutions to trans people,” they added.
