San Francisco mayor's budget to address transgender homelessness
San Francisco mayor's budget to address transgender homelessness
San Francisco Mayor London Breed is proposing a new plan to end homelessness for the city's transgender population. The mayors office says trans and gender non-conforming communities are 18 times more likely to experience homelessness. The mayor is planning to take that issue head on with her proposed two-year budget.
SAN FRANCISCO - San Francisco Mayor London Breed is proposing a new plan to end homelessness for the city's transgender population. The mayors' office says trans and gender non-conforming communities are 18 times more likely to experience homelessness. The mayor is planning to take that issue head on with her proposed two-year budget.
That budget would include funding for 150 long-term housing subsidies throught the Flexible Housing Subsidy Pool (FHSP) program, purchasing new housing, and $6 million over two years for financial assistance.
Supervisor Rafael Mandelman applauded the mayor's focus on an at-risk community in one of the most expensive cities in which to live. "This is part of a pattern for transgender and gender non-conforming folks," said Mandelman. "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."
At any given time there are about 400 trans and gender non-conforming people experiencing homelessness in the city. The mayor's budget proposal is part of a five-year plan aimed at ending trans and gender-non-conforming homelessness by 2027.
The mayor's plan would be a collaborative effort between 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 nonprofit organizations that serve TGNC residents.
SEE ALSO: Mayor Breed opts out of SF Pride parade over police uniform controversy
The mayor recently disappointed many in the LGBTQ+ community, including the trans community, with her decision to opt out of the SF Pride Parade because parade officials will not let LGBTQ+ San Francisco police officers march in the parade while in uniform.
San Francisco's Transgender District has called on Breed to reverse her decision and have boycotted Breed's Pride Flag raising ceremony as well as other city-affiliated Pride events due to her decision.
Bay City News contributed to this report.