Housing Instability and Housing-Based Discrimination Against Trans People in Maryland

Abstract

The Maryland Trans Survey is a community-based research project conducted by Trans Maryland and the Queer/Trans Collective for Research on Equity and Wellness examining experiences of trans people in the State of Maryland in areas such as health and healthcare, employment and economic well-being, and legal and policy experiences. To date, this is the largest survey of trans people in the State, with 750 trans people representing all 23 counties in Maryland and Baltimore City. Data were collected from June to December 2023 through in-person and online community outreach. The project was approved by Towson University’s Institutional Review Board (Protocol #1897) and used Transgender Research Informed Consent (TRICON) Disclosures to provide trans community members with additional transparency on the project, recognizing long histories of harmful practices in trans research from scientific institutions. Housing stability encompasses both the accessibility and security (i.e., free of threats) of shelter and exists along a spectrum ranging from “no access to housing of reasonable quality (complete instability)” to “access to housing of reasonable quality in the absence of threats (complete stability).” Trans and nonbinary people are significantly more likely to experience housing instability, including homelessness, than cisgender people. There is no standard definition or measure for housing instability. However, housing instability generally includes various issues that individuals face when securing or maintaining shelter, such as “trouble paying rent, moving frequently, staying with relatives or friends, or spending most of one's income on housing.” It may also include other housing-related stress or challenges, including mistreatment from landlords (i.e., unreasonably high rent, refusing or delaying maintenance repairs, erroneous charges and late fees, etc.) and poor building or living conditions. Trans people are more likely to experience housing instability because of housing and employment discrimination, limited legal protections, systematic barriers (i.e., obtaining identity documents, gender requirements in shelters/group homes, etc.), and social rejection or isolation from family and friends, among other factors. Additional identities and personal factors intersect and place certain trans individuals at even higher risk for housing insecurity, including, people of color, disabled people, veterans, younger (i.e., < 25) and older (i.e., 55+) people, people with lower income, and people without a college degree. Housing instability is a significant public health problem for trans people; it is associated with various poor physical and mental health outcomes and contributes to health disparities, including premature mortality. This brief contains information from the survey related to experiences of trans people with housing instability and discrimination to help advocates, policymakers, and community-serving entities better understand and support the current needs of trans people in Maryland.