SF to Test Guaranteed Income Program for Transgender Residents

SF City Hall lit up with the colors of the Trans flag for Trans Awareness Month. Photo from SF Office of Transgender Initiatives

San Francisco will test a new guaranteed income program for eligible transgender residents in the city.

Mayor London Breed announced the launch of the Guaranteed Income for Trans People Program, also known as the GIFT program, on Nov. 16.

The pilot program will offer qualifying low-income trans San Franciscans with $1200 per month for up to 18 months, according to a news release from Breed.

The city launched a program to offer some guaranteed income to artists in the city in 2021, and another that same year to assist pregnant people in the Black and Pacific Islander communities. The city is expected to launch two more initiatives in 2023 aimed at youth, according to Breed.

“Our Guaranteed Income Programs allow us to help our residents when they need it most as part of our City’s economic recovery and our commitment to creating a more just city for all,” said Breed.

The GIFT program will initially provide 55 applicants with temporary income and a range of other services such as gender-affirming medical and mental health care, case management and financial coaching.

“Even with our rich history of trans advocacy, we see that trans San Franciscans experience poverty at exponentially higher rates compared to the general population,” said Pau Crego, executive director of the San Francisco Office of Transgender Initiatives. “This is especially the case for trans people of color, disabled trans people, trans elders, and other trans communities deeply impacted by discrimination and barriers to education, employment, and economic mobility.”

The program is being designed and implemented by Lyon-Martin Community Health Services and The Transgender District with support from the mayor’s office.

The GIFT program is accepting applications from Nov. 15 through Dec. 15.

Apply online at https://www.giftincome.org/ or call (415) 213-1717. To apply in person, visit 1735 Mission Street in San Francisco during regular business hours.

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