San Francisco mayor unveils $6.5 million plan to eradicate trans homelessness
San Francisco Mayor London Breed listens at a press conference at City Hall on Wednesday, Feb. 16, 2022 in San Francisco, California. (Gabrielle Lurie/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
San Francisco mayor London Breed has proposed a five-year plan to end all transgender homelessness in the city.
On Tuesday (May 31), Breed vowed that San Francisco would aim to end trans homelessness by 2027, announcing that she would add a $6.5 million plan to her upcoming budget proposal.
The plan would see the mayor’s team work with transgender and gender non-conforming homeless groups on housing and community development.
It would seek to house approximately 400 trans homeless people in the city, as well as any future homeless individuals, through 150 long-term investments through the city’s flexible housing subsidy pool program.
The programme would also buy and set up new permanent supportive housing for trans people, with queer youth being the priority.
“Transgender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming San Franciscans are eighteen times more likely to experience homelessness compared to the general population,” mayor Breed said in a statement. “We know that the rates are even higher for our minority trans communities.”
As well as this, $6 million would be spent over two years on short-term rental subsidies, with $500,000 earmarked for behavioural and mental health services for homeless or at-risk of homelessness trans people.
Several trans rights groups and city officials applauded the programme.
“This is a groundbreaking initiative that meets the needs of transgender and gender-nonconforming individuals who are uniquely vulnerable to an array of health and safety challenges associated with unsheltered homelessness,” said supervisor Matt Dorsey.
Supervisor Rafael Mandelman said: “This is part of a pattern for transgender and gender-nonconforming folks. Just sort of all the ways in which life is difficult, from employment to poverty and housing, and homelessness is a key part of that, particularly in a place like San Francisco.”
The mayor was recently in the news for refusing to participate in the city’s Pride parade after the organisation in charge banned uniformed police officers from attending.
A last minute compromise means that a small number of uniformed officers will march in San Francisco Pride. Breed will now also take part in the event, set for 26 June.
