Homelessness

With today’s economy the number of homeless continues to raise and for one group the rise is way out of proportion and that is for the trans-youth. The 2011 – 2012 survey LGBT Homeless Youth Provider Survey found that…

Nearly all of the agencies responding to the survey (94%) reported working with homeless and runaway youth who identify as LGBT in the past year. The number serving LGBT youth has grown over the past ten years, particularly those serving transgender youth.

• Ten years ago, 82% of respondents said that they worked with LGB youth, whereas in the past year, nearly all respondents (94%) said that they worked with LGB youth clients.
• While less than half of respondents said that they served transgender clients ten years ago, more than three-quarters of respondents indicate that they worked with transgender youth in the past year. LGBT youth comprise approximately 40% of the clientele served by agencies represented in the sample:
• Among both homeless and non-homeless clients, 30% identified as gay or lesbian and 9% identified as bisexual
• 1% of homeless and non-homeless clients were identified as “other gender” but at least another percent of the total clientele were transgender youth who were identified on the survey as either male or female
• Nearly all agencies (91%) reported using intake forms to track the demographic information of their clients, including information on sexual orientation and gender identity; around 30% of agencies use staff estimates to approximate the number of LGBT youth. Given that youth may not be willing to self-identify as being LGBT when initially presenting for services, these data may underestimate the proportion of LGBT youth served by homeless youth providers.

[…]
On average, 30% of clients utilizing housing programs identify as LGBT (26% as LGB and 4% as
transgender):

• Host Home Programs – 42% of clients identified as LGBT (LGB = 37%; transgender = 5%)
• Permanent Housing Programs - 39% of clients identified as LGBT (LGB = 36%; transgender = 3%)
• Transitional Living Programs - 22% of clients identified as LGBT (LGB = 19%; transgender = 3%)
• Independent Living Programs – 22% of clients identified as LGBT (LGB = 19%; transgender = 3%)
• Emergency Shelters – 21% of clients identified as LGBT (LGB = 17%; transgender = 4%)

Many of the transgender homeless are forced into shelters of their birth gender and not of the gender that they identify, this causes many trans-youth not to seek shelter and to live off the street.

However, this does not have happen; many cities and homeless shelter allow residents to live in the shelter of the gender that they identify as. In New York City their policy is…

A few highlights of the policy include:

•     Trans-people will be placed in shelters according to gender identity and will be able to use appropriate sleeping, restroom and bathing facilities
•     Trans-people will be able to wear clothes that comply with their gender identities
•     DHS [Department of Homeless Services] will be providing full training for all shelters, beginning with 6 specifically targeted shelters (to get things moving as quickly as possible)

In Boston they have a similar policy for transgender guest. The policy spells out how transgender individuals will be treated in the shelters from where they will sleep to what showers they will use and except for one shelter, it will be the gender that they identify (The exception is one that has to be handled on a case by case basis.). One section of the policy that I especially like states…

For the purpose of accommodations, the gender identity of the guest should be determined through conversation, rather than through a physical exam.

That is how it should be at all shelters!

What about Connecticut? I know of no policies here in Connecticut that cover trans-people. However, Connecticut law (Public Act No. 11-55) does cover public accommodation and housing… 

It shall be a discriminatory practice in violation of this section: (1) To deny any person within the jurisdiction of this state full and equal accommodations in any place of public accommodation, resort or amusement because of race, creed, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, marital status, age, lawful source of income, mental retardation, mental disability or physical disability, including, but not limited to, blindness or deafness of the applicant, subject only to the conditions and limitations established by law and applicable alike to all persons

Homeless shelters are public accommodation; furthermore,

The municipality shall take all necessary steps to insure that occupancy of all housing financed or otherwise assisted pursuant to this chapter be open to all persons regardless of race, creed, color, national origin or ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, age or physical disability.

So what does this mean? It means that here in Connecticut that in homeless shelters that takes public funds you MUST be housed in the gender that you identify as… it is the law. If you feel that you have been discriminated against in homeless shelters you can file a complaint with the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) here.