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08.20.2020
The Network has submitted comments on HUD's Equal Access Rule Change.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has issued a proposed modification to the 2016 Equal Access Final Rule, which previously ensured individuals access to shelter based on their preferred gender identity. The modification would grant shelters the right to discriminate against the transgender community, rejecting shelter-seekers under the guise of religious freedom.
The Network recognizes that the proposed rule change is a part of the current administration’s ongoing efforts to limit the rights and protections for the LGBTQ+ community, particularly transgender people. This proposed rule would strip protections for transgender and gender non-conforming people seeking HUD-funded shelter and is rooted in harmful and dangerous stereotypes about transgender persons, particularly transgender women. As such, we strongly oppose this proposed rule change and urge that it be withdrawn in its entirety.
As a membership organization representing supportive housing providers, the Network is dedicated to ending homelessness and eliminating the barriers that keep tenants from remaining stably housed. We believe everyone is entitled to these services, regardless of gender identity. Should unhoused transgender and gender non-conforming individuals be denied access to shelter, their path to permanent housing will be unjustly blocked.
You can read the Network’s comment HERE.