Maharashtra: In a first, housing scheme proposed for transgender community

The Social Welfare Department of the Maharashtra government has proposed an affordable housing scheme for the transgender community a senior official saidTransgender persons often find it difficult to buy or rent a house in a good locality because of the stigma attached to their gender identity hence the scheme would be helpful he said Under the proposed scheme around 150 flats of 450 sq feet each will be offered in a dedicated housing complex in Nagpur city for the transgender communityThe Nagpur Improvement Trust NIT has ready flats available It has agreed to sell them to us Using the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana PMAY funds and taking rest of the funding from the state government we will make these flats available to the transgender community They will own these flats said Dr Prashant Narnaware Commissioner Social WelfareIf approved this will be the first dedicated housing scheme for the community in the state he addedWe hear of shelter houses or hostel facilities for this marginalized community but our scheme envisages that they will own the flats own the complex and can lead a dignified life Narnaware saidA proposal was received from the NIT and the Social Welfare department said it will purchase the ready building he saidIt has been sent to the state government for approval Once we receive the finance departments nod the flats will be purchased from the NIT and we will start allotment he addedAsked if the scheme might draw criticism for segregating the community instead of bringing it into the mainstream Narnaware said the ultimate goal would always be that community members get assimilated in the mainstream society but finding housing was a real problem for themRegular conferences of representatives of the transgender community are held in the state to understand their issues he saidThe issue they are facing is that nobody is ready to give them a house even if they have the money to buy or rent it In these conferences we hear a common grievance that they struggle to find a house or flat in a decent housing society he saidSome of them are forced to live in slums Narnaware addedCommunity members suggested that the government consider setting up dedicated housing colonies where they can live and even start businesses said the commissionerWe too do not want segregation They should coexist with others and this initiative is a first step towards it he addedThose seeking flats under the proposed scheme will need to possess an identity card and certificate issued by the government which recognizes them as a trangender person Narnaware saidThe beneficiaries will have to pay only 10 per cent of the flat price and the balance will be paid through the PMAY and state government If needed bank loans will be made available to pay the 10 per cent share he addedBindu Madhav Khire Director of Bindu Queer Rights Foundation which works for the LGBTQ community said the objective of the scheme was laudableBut he warned that there was a possibility of fraud with fake transgender persons taking advantage of the schemeAccording to him there are an estimated 20000 transgender persons living in MaharashtraIt is a fact that the transgender community faces discrimination while seeking accommodation in a decent area But there is also a possibility that a beneficiary who has paid a mere 10 per cent of the total cost will sell it for profit and return to the old address he saidTo mainstream the transgender community they can be given a quota in general housing schemes of the Maharashta Housing and Area and Development Authrotiy MHADA and other governmentrun housing corporations Khire saidIn MHADA scheme there is no room for discrimination as flats are alloted through a lottery he addedAlso as some persons fraudulently declare themselves as transgender only to take benefit of government schemes there should be sufficient checks Khire addedThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever