San Francisco Democratic Mayor London Breed announced a plan Tuesday to “end transgender homelessness” in the city by 2027.
The plan would direct $6.5 million in the proposed budget to combat homelessness, specifically for people who identify as transgender, according to The Bay Area Reporter, an LGBTQ news outlet.
“Today I announced my 5-year plan to end transgender homelessness in San Francisco, which includes investing in programs that support and create real long-term change in the lives of transgender people,” Breed tweeted.
Today I announced my 5-year plan to end transgender homelessness in San Francisco, which includes investing in programs that support and create real long-term change in the lives of transgender people. @SF_HSH @SF_DPH @sfmohcd @TransCitySF https://t.co/mdEPEx01TS
— London Breed (@LondonBreed) May 31, 2022
The plan focuses on getting the transgender homeless population housed quickly, “making any instance of homelessness brief and rare, according to the mayor’s office,” the Reporter added.
A 2021 survey estimated there are roughly 320 transgender homeless people in San Francisco, compared to 2,800 homeless women and nearly 8,000 total homeless people in the city.
Twitter users were quick to criticize the mayor’s plan for prioritizing certain homeless people based on their gender identity.
“What happens if someone is homeless and not transgender?” self-described moderate liberal Michelle Tandler asked.
Former UFC fighter Jake Shields wondered, “So if I’m homeless and say I’m transgender I get a home but not otherwise? Makes perfect sense.”
Another Twitter user slammed Breed’s plan as divisive, writing, “We speak about how division is bad for this country and yet here’s a mayor dividing the homeless. Does this make any sense? Are we going to differentiate addicts based on race, religion, eating habits, etc.?”
Homelessness in San Francisco has slightly dropped in recent years but the city still ranks in the top 10 U.S. cities for the highest homeless population.
Since 2016, the city has spent billions of dollars addressing homelessness with disastrous results, The Daily Wire previously reported. One homeless man, Richard Brustie, told The San Francisco Chronicle that he moved into one of the city’s shelters with his girlfriend only to find “the kitchen sink had human s*** in it, and the hotel has black mold.”
“So we said screw that, and we started sleeping on the streets,” Brustie said.
The mayor is expected to reveal the new two-year budget that includes millions of dollars designated for transgender homelessness Wednesday. The city’s Board of Supervisors can amend the budget proposal before approving or rejecting it on July 1.