The True Colors Fund Commends the Department of Housing & Urban Development on Groundbreaking Gender Identity Rule
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) today released its final rule to ensure equal access to HUD shelter programs in accordance with an individual’s gender identity.
“The True Colors Fund would like to wholeheartedly thank HUD Secretary Julian Castro and the Obama administration for the groundbreaking Gender Identity Rule, which provides key protections for transgender and gender expansive individuals seeking housing services,” said Gregory Lewis, Executive Director of the True Colors Fund.
Moving forward, providers that operate single-sex projects that receive funding from HUD’s Office of Community Planning and Development (CPD) will be required to provide all individuals – including transgender and gender expansive individuals – with full access to programs, services, benefits, and accommodations in accordance with their gender identity.
Through the introduction of the new rule, all CPD recipients and providers are required to establish and maintain program admission and operating procedures that provide equal access to individuals based on their gender identity. Additionally, the new rule ensures that transgender and gender expansive individuals are not subjected to harassment, unnecessary questioning, or required to provide documentation of their gender, and provides clarity to the definition of “gender identity” to better reflect the difference between actual and perceived gender identity.
To read HUD’s final Gender Identity Rule, CLICK HERE.