OREFIELD, Pa. - The unemployment rate among transgender people is often 2 to 3 times the national average. And that can be even higher for trans people of color according to a national advocacy group.
Corrine Goodwin is with the Eastern PA Trans Equity Project.
“How do you get housing when you are unemployed, how do you eat when you are unemployed and how do you get your medication when you are unemployed because now you’re uninsured?” Goodwin asks.
And trans people often have more difficulties at work with issues like stigma and being misgendered, Goodwin says.
“When all that is happening to you, how do you pay attention to doing a good job and that just creates bigger issues with unemployment,” Goodwin says.
The Eastern PA Trans Equity Project is offering $20,000 in Rapid Response Crisis Grants which In some cases include up to $1,500 for security deposits and hundreds of dollars in rental assistance. The organization also offers gift cards for food and medication and 30-day bus passes.
“If you are a trans person and you are in housing but you are at risk of losing it we can provide an ER grant we can help tide you over for this month to help pay your rent,” Goodwin says.
For more information on the grants, visit PATransEquity.org.
