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

150 flats to be offered to transgender persons in Nagpur

August 07, 2022 11:39 am | Updated 11:39 am IST - Pune:

Transgender persons are seen on their Rainbow Pride Walk in Bhubaneswar. File

Transgender persons are seen on their Rainbow Pride Walk in Bhubaneswar. File | Photo Credit: BISWARANJAN ROUT

The Social Welfare Department of the Maharashtra Government has proposed an affordable housing scheme for the transgender community, a senior official said.

Transgender 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 community.

Also read | Kerala forms panel to study issued faced by transgender persons

"The 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 Welfare.

If approved, this will be the first dedicated housing scheme for the community in the State, he added.

"We hear of shelter houses or hostel facilities for this marginalised community, but our scheme envisages that they will own the flats, own the complex and can lead a dignified life," Dr. Narnaware said.

A proposal was received from the NIT, and the Social Welfare department said it will purchase the ready building, he said.

"It has been sent to the State government for approval. Once we receive the finance department's nod, the flats will be purchased from the NIT and we will start allotment," he added.

Criticism likely over ‘segregating’ the community’

Asked if the scheme might draw criticism for 'segregating' the community instead of bringing it into the mainstream, Dr. 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 them.

Regular conferences of representatives of the transgender community are held in the State to understand their issues, he said.

"The 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 said.

Some of them are forced to live in slums, Dr. Narnaware added.

Community members suggested that the government consider setting up dedicated housing colonies where they can live and even start businesses, said the commissioner.

"We too do not want segregation. They should co-exist with others, and this initiative is a first step towards it," he added.

Those seeking flats under the proposed scheme will need to possess an identity card and certificate issued by the government which recognises them as a transgender person, Dr. Narnaware said.

Scheme lauded but concerns of fake purchases raised

"The beneficiaries will have to pay only 10% 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 added.

Bindu Madhav Khire, Director of Bindu Queer Rights Foundation which works for the LGBTQ community, said the objective of the scheme was laudable.

Also read | Despite legislation, transgender community faces discrimination and abuse

But he warned that there was a possibility of fraud with fake transgender persons taking advantage of the scheme.

According to him, there are an estimated 20,000 transgender persons living in Maharashtra.

"It 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 said.

To "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 government-run housing corporations, Mr. Khire said.

In MHADA scheme there is no room for discrimination as flats are alloted through a lottery, he added.

"Also, as some persons fraudulently declare themselves as transgender only to take benefit of government schemes, there should be sufficient checks," Mr. Khire added.

Top News Today

Sign in to unlock member-only benefits!
  • Access 10 free stories every month
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign-up/manage your newsletter subscriptions with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early access to discounts & offers on our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide by our community guidelines for posting your comments.

We have migrated to a new commenting platform. If you are already a registered user of The Hindu and logged in, you may continue to engage with our articles. If you do not have an account please register and login to post comments. Users can access their older comments by logging into their accounts on Vuukle.