A first: Housing scheme for transpersons in Maharashtra

Narnaware said accommodation is one of the major problems faced by transpersons. “They do not easily get a residence. In case they are following the guru-disciple tradition, then nobody gives them a home or rents a place. It leads to harassment from others and even within the transgender community,” he said. A housing scheme reserved for transpersons will also mean that in case of resale of the flat, it will have to be sold to another transgender individual.

He said this is only the first step from the department to provide accommodation to transpersons. “In the second phase, we will request agencies like MHADA and CIDCO that construct houses to reserve certain components for transpersons. They are citizens of this country and have a right to own property,” he added.

A proposal in this regard is pending with the finance department and likely to get clearance soon. The state government is setting up a special portal for transpersons on the lines of the central government where identity cards for community members will be made available. The state government is also coming up with a campaign for registration of transpersons and this card will be used for the application process. “If we get more than 150 applications, then we will have a lottery system and in case of fewer applications, we will provide houses on a first come first serve basis,” he said, adding that the process will begin immediately after the clearance from the state finance department.