Manitoba shelters are failing to meet the needs of transgender people. Many transgender people experiencing homelessness face barriers, discrimination, and stigma when accessing shelters or transitional housing programs. However, we believe that there are strategies that could help make transgender people experiencing homelessness feel safer and more comfortable when accessing shelters throughout the province. This blog will explore the highlights of a project developed in partnership with YWCA Brandon to find out what these strategies may be and to help create best practices for these spaces.
The project began by conducting semi-structured interviews with housing service providers and those who work in service provision for transgender people in Manitoba.
Lately, many people in Westman have been struggling to stay out of poverty. Due to rising housing costs and increased inflation, people in Westman have been finding it more and more difficult to secure safe and affordable housing. For the transgender members of this community finding safe and affordable housing is even more challenging. The LGBTQ2S community is at a much higher risk of experiencing homelessness than the rest of the population and transgender people face even higher rates of housing insecurity than members of the LGBTQ2S community whose gender identity matches the sex they were assigned at birth. Despite these challenges, there are currently very few shelters across the country that offer specific transitional housing programs for transgender people or LGBTQ2S people more broadly. There is an urgent need locally, in Manitoba, and across the country for programs targeted at supporting transgender people experiencing homelessness.
Through interviews with service providers, we learned that:
- There are major system-level issues related to housing transgender people.
- Manitoba shelters are currently failing to meet the needs of their transgender clients.
- There are potential solutions that could help transgender people feel safer and more comfortable using shelters and transitional housing organizations.
System-level issues related to housing transgender people
Transgender people experiencing homelessness often avoid accessing transitional housing because they view them as unsafe. This includes faith-based shelters, shelters segregated by gender or shelters in rural areas. Many of the shelters in Westman, as well as those across the province of Manitoba, are run by faith-based organizations, which creates a barrier to access for transgender people. This is because many transgender people have experienced discrimination and harassment from religious groups. There are faith-based shelters in Winnipeg that have tried to create LGBTQ2S-specific programming in the past. However, they were unsuccessful because they did not have sufficient consultation from the LGBTQ2S and transgender communities to guide program development.
Gender segregation is common in shelters, and participants in this study argued that it exists to protect cisgender women from gendered violence. However, this system of gender segregation often excludes or ignores the identities of transgender members of the community. Gender-segregated shelters are challenging to navigate and often result in discrimination, harassment, and violence against transgender clients. People experiencing homelessness who identify as transgender are often forced into gendered areas of a shelter that don’t align with their own gender identity. Transgender people often face stigma and discrimination if they choose to stay at a women’s shelter or violence and discrimination if they choose to stay at a men’s shelter. This makes it difficult to decide where to stay.
Rural areas like Brandon and Westman are often viewed as ‘more conservative’ or ‘less progressive’ than urban centres, and this reputation is extended to shelters and housing organizations there, even if they have defined their own inclusive values. In communities with small populations and large service areas, there are limited resources. This makes it difficult to create specialized supports targeting sub-populations. Throughout the province, service providers in this study often mentioned a perceived lack of support for LGBTQ2S people experiencing homelessness outside of Winnipeg. In other words, it can be difficult for transgender people in rural areas to reach out for support and receive the support requested.
Manitoba shelters are currently failing to meet the needs of transgender clients
Based on typical training, policy, and processes, shelters often ignore the experiences of transgender people. According to our research, participants, staff, management, and executives of shelters and housing organizations in Manitoba are undertrained on issues facing transgender people. Beyond training, certain policies and procedures can also dissuade transgender people from accessing shelter services. Intake procedures, which are often the first step toward staying at a shelter, are experienced as prodding and unnecessary by transgender people. This has led transgender people to avoid shelter use altogether. Transgender people also view referrals as harmful, as the way that clients are discussed between providers can often lead to discrimination or violence against the client. These issues, like homelessness more broadly, are multi-faceted and require targeted solutions.
Potential solutions
There are many ways that shelters can improve their services so that they can support better outcomes for their transgender clients. This list is not exhaustive but some solutions include:
- Make training mandatory, up to date, and informed by transgender rights groups and/or members of transgender communities.
- Develop transgender-specific identity-based housing programs. These types of programs are regarded as better at addressing the needs of transgender people but are lacking throughout the country.
- Hire more transgender staff and staff that represent the full diversity of the communities they serve. This makes it easier for transgender people to connect with shelter staff.
- Display LGBTQ2S-positive media, such as rainbow flags, stickers, or images of LGBTQ2S community members using the space, once more substantial practical steps have been taken. By doing this, shelters can demonstrate that they intend to be safe spaces for members of these communities.
Want to learn more?
- For more information and tangible ways for shelters to improve their services, you can read both our reports here.
- For individuals, non-profits or any organizations in Manitoba seeking to create a more welcoming environment for people of all genders, you can reach out to Trans Manitoba for information here.
- For more information on the specific needs and barriers faced by LGBTQ2S people experiencing homelessness and associated solutions to these issues, you can read or purchase, Where Am I Going to Go? Intersectional Approaches to Ending LGBTQ2S Youth Homelessness in Canada & the U.S.
- For more information on how you can create affirming spaces for people with all gender identities and you can access The 519’s toolkit here.
Acknowledgments: These projects were made possible through the financial support of the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada through the Manitoba Research Alliance Grant, Community-Driven Solutions to Poverty: Challenges and Possibilities.