San Francisco introduces guaranteed income for trans people

[AntivaxHunters]

News story (lots more on this). https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-11-18/san-francisco-launches-guaranteed-income-program-for-transgender-residents]

City of San Francisco announcement https://sf.gov/news/san-francisco-launches-new-guaranteed-income-program-trans-community]

Edit - Switched news story link to better source 👍🏼

[FreeState]

1. Much needed

Glad to see the city give back to people that helped make San Francisco what it is.

[AntivaxHunters]

2. It really is!

[haele]

4. I'm for guaranteed income. I'm concerned about this causing more of a backlash, though.

Why is it just for Trans people, instead of income based or situationally (like unemployable disabled, homeless or on SSI/SSDI only) based?
Way to isolate the Trans community from the Queer community in general. I get they have unique issues, but moreso economically than any other legally protected group?

Again - I'M ALL FOR MINiMUM GUARANTEED INCOME...
But cherry-picking winners isn't providing social justice.

That's the problem with California politics - our Radicals like to position themselves where they can make sparkle unicorn policies without thinking through consequences...

Haele

[FreeState]

5. This isn't cherry picking

You might want to look up challenges trans people are encountering - it’s way outside the norm of simple poverty.

[redqueen]

6. How?

If we were going to single out only one group to get this benefit, people dependent on SSDI would have been my first choice.

[FreeState]

9. What do you mean how?

According to a 2019 Williams Institute analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) data, which is the best available evidence on poverty in the LGBTQ+ community, LGBTQ+ adults in the United States are significantly more likely to be living in poverty than their straight and cisgender counterparts. Overall, more than one in five LGBTQ+ adultss (22%) are living in poverty, compared to an estimated 16% of their straight and cisgender counterparts. Among LGBTQ+ adults, poverty further differs across sexual orientation, gender, and race. Almost three in ten transgender adults (29%), as well as almost three in ten cisgender bisexual women (29%), are living in poverty, substantially more than cisgender bisexual men (19.5%) and cisgender lesbian women (17.9%). Cisgender gay men, in contrast, are less likely to be living in poverty than straight and cisgender adults, with 12% of cisgender gay men, compared with 13% of cisgender straight men, and 18% of cisgender straight women, living in poverty. When looking across race/ethnicity, poverty rates among LGBTQ+ people of color in the U.S. tower over those of other groups. For example, almost half of Latinx transgender adults (48%), as well as approximately four in ten Black transgender adults (39%), are living in poverty.

https://www.hrc.org/resources/understanding-poverty-in-the-lgbtq-community


The percentage of people on SSDI is less than 2.95%

In December 2021, there were 9,243,999 people receiving Social Security disability benefits.

https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/statcomps/di_asr/2021/sect01.html

[highplainsdem]

7. It's also going to be offered to only 55 people.

[AntivaxHunters]

11. Well guess what?

This is only the start.
Trans people experience poverty including being unsheltered at higher rates than any other demographic so they're working beginning at the bottom & moving upward. Those who are the most needy get help first. https://www.fastcompany.com/90814914/san-francisco-launches-guaranteed-income-program-specifically-for-trans-people]

[haele]

13. Understood, Trans people face higher homelessness and there's issues with shelters.

I know, I took a transitioning trans female co-worker in as a rentmate for a year back in 1997 until after her top surgery and she could back on her feet to find a new place to live. Took her a year to save up to move into a landlord that wasn't going to suddenly cancel a lease on her due to some "moral hazard" as well as pay for hormone treatment and surgery that wasn't covered under company insurance.

I'm glad SF is stepping up to the plate. My problem is the optics indicate exclusively.
Where is the follow on indicating that there will be follow on programs for other targeted demographics?
Otherwise, it's hoopla that sounds as if San Francisco was trying to curry the flavor of the week.
Everyone can be angry that I put it that way, but the Queer community does suffer an inordinate amount of homelessness as opposed to other homeless demographics in general, and to a young, elderly, or disabled queer person who isn't trans but can't find a safe place to stay, all it does is re-enforce the right wing rhetoric about Trans trying to be more deserving than other high risk groups. It splits the Queer community, and that's what I heard just today from old friends who belong to that community. They're also happy that program is being started. But it's so narrowly targeted, it seems to pit members of the same Family against each other, and they're worried there's going to be a backlash amongst people who are already desperate for assistance to get off the streets.

If other groups are also eligible for a similar targeted demographic programs, like queer youth, families, working couples, elderly on SSI, or disabled on SSDI, it would do a lot to remove that poor PR optic.

Our affordable housing/shelter system sucks. Minimum basic income, or at least minimum basic housing supplement, which is what it seems this really is, is increasingly becoming a necessity to maintain a modicum of dignity and survival to those who can't make 6 figures a year, and don't risk being replaced by AI or some other tech.

Haele

[maxsolomon]

8. Pilot Program.

The GIFT Program will provide 55 eligible trans individuals with temporary income and a range of wrap-around direct services such as gender affirming medical and mental health care, case management and specialty care services, as well as financial coaching.

$1200 isn't much in today's SF, but it might get these folks over a hump or 2.

[brooklynite]

10. Lousy idea....

...Set aside what the response to Trans people is in Republican States. What data is there to support a financial need by Trans people in a place as liberal as San Francisco? And is that need greater than that of the SF homeless, regardless of sexual identity?

This is going to be seen as another identity politics overreach.

[AntivaxHunters]

12. Trans people suffer higher rates of poverty

In San Francisco than any other demographic.
Why are you against helping people who need it the most?
I certainly can't support your position here especially with being the parent to a trans child.

https://www.fastcompany.com/90814914/san-francisco-launches-guaranteed-income-program-specifically-for-trans-people]

And who gives a shit if it's seen as "another handout"? The people saying that are the same people trying to legislate trans people out of existence. Fuck them.