From Crisis to Stability: How Chicago House Is Reimagining Trans Housing

In March, Chicago House shared how the transgender community is facing increased threats to their existence and how this is shaping our work. Dishearteningly, individuals continue to face mounting barriers to support, prompting many to disengage and further isolate.

As these challenges have intensified, TLC’s Transformative Housing Program has emerged as a critical lifeline. Over the past year, our team earned recognition from advocates, funders, and housing leaders for their impact on housing and health outcomes for transgender women of color. We have been invited to present our approach at national conferences, offering a roadmap for communities striving to meet similar needs in their own regions.

“Chicago House was the first ever trans-specific housing program,” explains Priscilla Perez, TLC Program Manager. “There are currently no shelters in Chicago for trans individuals and their unique needs. It makes a huge impact in the community. As the program evolves this year, I still have girls calling me across the country asking me about the program and how they can receive services.”

The Transformative Housing Program uses a Rapid Re-Housing model to move individuals from homelessness into stable housing as quickly as possible. This proven approach, a cornerstone of the city’s homeless response system, combines short-term rental assistance with the support people need to rebuild their lives. TLC’s team also provides housing navigation, helping clients find apartments, secure leases, and settle into their new homes. Since launching, the program has placed 25 households in long-term, affirming housing and guided 179 others through the navigation process, contributing significantly to the well-being of the transgender community.

This demonstrates what is possible when trans-specific housing and health services are built on dignity and empowerment. Residents can stabilize, rebuild, and move toward independence. Yet these advances remain fragile in a climate of growing hostility and shrinking resources. New policies now look to criminalize homelessness and marginalize vulnerable communities, threatening to undo decades of progress while deepening disparities.

As TLC Director Kevin Pleasant reminds us, “Housing is healthcare and healthcare is housing. By relieving that barrier, we are able to get folks out of survival mode and into a space where they are able to receive support.”

This is the heart of Chicago House’s mission and why it must be preserved. As laws and regulations change, protecting programs like Transformative Housing is essential to stable housing, good health, and hope for the future.