Group of transgender woman band together to find housing in Sydney

ABC NEWS (Australia)

When you face hatred and discrimination for who you are, finding a stable home can be a struggle. So, a group of transgender women in Sydney banded together in search of a sanctuary of their own. More than a decade later, their dream is finally becoming a reality.

Transcript

00:00Kuncha Brown and Chantel Martin have always battled to find homes.

00:06We can't just go out there and rent privately because landlords won't rent to us.

00:12It's a battle they've both lost before.

00:15When I was younger, I ended up being homeless.

00:18I did go down the homeless track for a while there.

00:21The places they have found have often been unsafe.

00:24When we do get into properties, there's that stigma and discrimination from neighbours.

00:29Fourteen years ago, they formed something called a housing co-op with other trans women.

00:35Ever since, they've been looking for somewhere to live as a community.

00:38You're all together. Safety in numbers.

00:42And here we are.

00:44Their advocacy has finally paid off.

00:46A community housing provider has bought seven houses from the City of Sydney Council.

00:5170% reduced from market price and so around $2.4 million.

00:56The state and federal governments have funded the purchase and refurbishment of the homes,

01:00which will be kept exclusively for transgender women.

01:03The result is a safe home for a group of some of the most vulnerable people in the community.

01:09The ABC is not revealing the exact location because of safety concerns,

01:13but it's close to the inner city services its future residents will depend on.

01:17The doctors that we see and our social group.

01:22Darlinghurst is characterised by its large rainbow community,

01:25but people of diverse genders and sexualities are increasingly being priced out.

01:30This housing project will help to preserve that colour.

01:33What we don't want is Darlinghurst or the City of Sydney

01:37to become an area where only the rich can afford to live.

01:40A win for these transgender women and the diversity of the neighbourhood.

01:44The College is a bandened village.

01:51The Cardiff has a decent house for everyone.

01:53The customers need to get donated from years for the跟我 province.

01:58The connections are theuishers' gegenüber outside

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