Trans & Nonbinary Housing Collective

Our Story

Sacramento's trans and nonbinary communities have long faced high levels of violence and discrimination, and our region's rapidly rising rents are resulting in widespread displacement and homelessness, disrupting and endangering the lives of people with few or no supports from family and little access to the social safety net. Family rejection, domestic violence and discrimination too often force trans folks out of their homes. When we cannot find safe, affordable housing, our risk of exposure to violence and abuse rises exponentially, harming our health and threatening our safety.

In December 2017, a member of our group posted in a local LGBTQ housing Facebook group about her desire to start a collective of trans, nonbinary and gender-nonconforming people seeking safe, shared, collectively-run rental housing. Soon a group of trans folks of diverse ages, races and genders who were homeless or at risk of homelessness replied to her post, along with a few cis allies.

Some of us were fleeing violence, abuse, family rejection or discrimination. Most of us lacked safe, permanent housing. We formed a private Facebook group and began meeting in person.

We soon agreed on guiding principles and developed a plan to search for shared rental housing together with the aim of establishing a communal house as a sanctuary for the trans and nonbinary community. In the fall of 2018 we formed two collective houses. We are still looking for more shared housing for collective members.

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