San Francisco, CA — Today, Mayor London N. Breed announced a plan in her proposed two-year budget to end homelessness for transgender and gender nonconforming (TGNC) San Franciscans in five years. The plan to end trans homelessness will be a collaborative effort between the Mayor’s Office on Housing and Community Development (MOHCD), the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH), the Department of Public Health (DPH), the Office of Transgender Initiatives (OTI), and nonprofit organizations serving TGNC people experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness. This makes San Francisco the first city in the United States to commit to ending homelessness for TGNC people.

“Transgender, non-binary, and gender nonconforming San Franciscans are eighteen 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,” said Mayor Breed. “With one of the largest TGNC 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.”

“The TGNC community is uniquely at risk of homelessness, violence and poverty and these investments are critical to advancing the City’s equity strategies to improve services for our most vulnerable community members,” said San Francisco Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, Executive Director, Shireen McSpadden. “We need to close the gaps in our system and these housing investments are an important complement to our new shelter investments for this community.”

With an estimated 400 TGNC residents experiencing homelessness at any given time, the implementation of this plan will address the homelessness crisis within TGNC communities, in particular as it affects Black, Indigenous, Latina and other trans women of color. The plan to end trans homelessness will build on the successful model of Our Trans Home SF, the first TGNC-focused housing program in the nation, which Mayor Breed founded in 2019.

The Mayor’s upcoming two-year budget includes the following historic investments to begin implementation of the plan to end trans homelessness:

• At least 150 long-term housing subsidies through the City’s Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP) program.

• Acquisition and operations for a new Permanent Supportive Housing site for TGNC and LGBQ+ youth, with a focus on Transition Age Youth (TAY).
• $6 million over two years dedicated to fund short-term rental subsidies, flexible financial assistance, and support to build capacity among non-profit providers serving TGNC residents.
• $500,000 to fund behavioral health services for TGNC individuals experiencing homelessness or at-risk of homelessness, building on the $500,000 investment already supporting trans youth experiencing homelessness.

“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. “Ending trans homelessness over the next five years is a worthy and ambitious objective. I’m committed to being a full partner on the Board of Supervisors to make it a success, and I hope this program offers a roadmap for similar initiatives in cities across the nation and around the world. I’m grateful to Mayor Breed and TGNC community leaders for their aspirational leadership, and to all those in the Mayor’s Office on Housing and Community Development, the Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing, the Department of Public Health, the Office of Transgender Initiatives and elsewhere who’ll be working hard to fulfill the promise of this important work.”

“Mayor Breed has been a stalwart champion of San Francisco’s TGNC community throughout her time in office. It has been a privilege to work with her on Our Trans Home SF, and I look forward to partnering with her to achieve her bold and inspiring vision of ending trans homelessness in San Francisco,” said Supervisor Rafael Mandelman.

The principle of ending trans homelessness by 2027 means that the existing trans homeless community would be stabilized and housed over the next five years, and any future trans people that become homeless would have the resources and support to get them housed quickly, making any instance of homelessness brief and rare. The Department of Homelessness and Supportive Housing (HSH) will work with TGNC residents, TGNC-serving organizations, and OTI to integrate the ending trans homelessness plan into the City’s strategic plan on homelessness. The strategic plan will be completed this year and will guide future strategy and investments for address homelessness through an equity framework.

“In recent years, Mayor Breed has worked tirelessly with TGNC-serving organizations to identify and address the key inequities facing trans San Franciscans,” said Michelle Cunningham-Denning, Program Manager of The TAJA Coalition, and member of the Our City, Our Home Oversight Committee. “From founding Our Trans Home SF in 2019, the first trans-specific housing program in the country, to expanding health and social services for our communities, she has shown her dedication to addressing the dire life circumstances that TGNC people face due to transphobia, anti-Blackness, racism, xenophobia, and more. As a community member and leader, it fills me with hope to witness the progress our communities are making, and I look forward to working with City and community leaders to make the dream of safe and stable housing for TGNC people a reality.”

“As a historical San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that has led housing services and re-entry opportunities for marginalized Black and Brown transgender, gender variant, intersex, and gender nonconforming residents, we are thrilled by Mayor Breed’s commitment to ending homelessness for our disproportionately impacted communities,” said Sharyn Grayson, Co-Executive Director of TGI Justice Project. “These investments will allow us to prioritize equitable services for some of San Francisco's most vulnerable persons, and to provide safe, stable, and affordable housing, as well as wraparound services, to a community that is struggling to survive.”

“Given our rich legacy of trans activism, San Francisco is well-positioned to lead the country and the world on ending homelessness for trans communities,” said Aria Sa’id, co-founder and President of The Transgender District. “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 5 years. 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.”

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