The Social Justice department will begin calling for applications for its housing scheme for transgender persons this week.
The department hopes to begin handing over financial assistance under the scheme this year itself.
Minister for Social Justice R. Bindu had told The Hindu in an exclusive interview earlier that the State government was planning a novel initiative to provide housing for transgender persons.
At present, two short-stay homes, one each, function in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi for transgender persons. However, the housing scheme is seen as an answer to the discrimination and stigma faced by them in securing safe accommodation.
The yet-to-be named scheme aims at providing financial assistance to transgender persons for both purchase of land and construction of house. Transgender beneficiaries of housing schemes such as LIFE Mission who have received financial assistance of ₹4 lakh for house construction will be given an additional ₹2 lakh as gap funding to complete the work. Initially, five transgender persons will be given this assistance.
