Several years ago (before we started our transitional housing program called “Ground Up Housing Solutions”), we had a transgender woman (age 22) who was put out of their parents’ homes because of who they are. It was difficult to try to find a place for them to go where they could feel safe.
We tried the homeless shelter, but she did not feel safe there since she had been there before and was bullied, threatened and harassed there by the other residents. Because of this experience, she feared for her life and told our agency she would rather freeze to death than to go back there. This was during the winter, so she was forced to sleep in an abandoned building. She was so cold, one of her toes became frozen and she had to have the frozen toe amputated.
We knew something had to be done, so we created Ground Up Housing Solutions to help people in emergency situations such as the one I mentioned so that one less person has to go through that. With our program we were able to transition her to her own two-bedroom apartment.
She currently is doing great now. We also got her linked to a LGBTQ-friendly physician, and now she is currently on HRT.
We have numerous stories of LGBTQ youth who have been kicked out and disowned by family members and ostracized by their church members all because of how they identify. We cannot continue to help our community and provide housing services without your support.
Please help us keep the doors open for those who've had the door shut on them.