The Shelby County government has announced an investment of $194,000 into transitional housing at My Sistah’s House. According to government officials, it is an investment in “critical transitional housing for some of Shelby County’s most vulnerable community members.”
My Sistah’s House was founded in 2016 by Kayla Rena Gore and Illyahnna C. Wattshall, two trans women of color who, according to My Sistah’s House, “sought to bridge a gap in services for trans and queer people of color (TQPOC) in Memphis, TN, with a focus on transgender women of color. “
The organization focuses on building and renovating homes in hopes of helping trans women move towards home ownership. They provide emergency housing for trans and gender nonconforming people on a temporary basis. According to My Sistah’s House, housing is a safe zone and drug free.
“When My Sistah’s House first started, there were only 71 beds available in emergency shelters across Memphis and Shelby County and none of them were designated as trans-specific,” said Gore, executive director of My Sistah’s House. “As a Black trans woman, I know the need for security. So far, we’ve been able to provide that security to 35 trans and queer people of color through our emergency housing program. With this investment from Shelby County Government, that security can go even further.”
Government officials also said that members of the Black trans community experience homelessness at a higher rate than most of the country.
A 2018 study from the National LGBTQ+ Task Force reported that 41 percent of Black trans people were without housing at one point in time. This was about five times higher than the rest of the country.
Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris said that transitional housing gives people a path to independence, and that they are providing “stable, safe housing,” to the community’s most vulnerable [population.]
“Unfortunately our trans community faces disproportionate hardships every day and are now being legislated against for simply being who they are. These kinds of investments in transitional housing can reduce homelessness, increase public safety, and create a brighter future for all of us,” said Harris.
