The housing project for third gender in Kengeri may be completed in 2024, said the assistant engineer from KSDB.
The housing project ‘Township for Transgenders’ initiated by the government near Kengeri which plans to build 160 houses for third gender is overdue by 10 months. The assistant engineer from the Karnataka Slum Development Board (KSDB) said that the project is in plinth stage and will be completed in 2024.
Riyan from Karnataka Sexual Minorities Forum (KSMF) said that around 12,000 third gender live in Bangalore, of which 160 will get houses, which is a meagre 1.3 percent.
Former housing minister V. Somanna instructed the KSDB to complete the project in six months.
Mallu, a coordinator from the KSMF said that the project started in June 2022 and was supposed to be completed in November. She added that most of the third gender in Bangalore are homeless. “Some third gender rent a house together or start to live in slums,”Mallu said.
The housing project near Muktinaga temple in Kengeri will provide housing facilities to third gender from a poor economic status. According to the state policy for transgenders, they can apply for housing subsidies under Indira Awaas Yojana, Valmiki Ambedkar Awaas Yojana, Rajiv Awaas Yojana schemes.
The housing project will not be of much help said Riyan. “All the government schemes require ID proofs which most third gender not have.” Riyan said.
Uma, 45 years old is staying in a rented house for 25 years now. “Not many house owners are willing to provide houses for rent to our community,” she said. She added that the house owners charge them high amounts as rents. “I applied under the Rajiv Awaas Yojana but I wasn’t able to complete the process because, I lost my ID proof when I had to leave home,” she said.
Sana, another third gender said that she is not aware of the housing project for the third gender. She also said, “We are sexually harassed by house owners for not paying rents.” Also most of the third gender are unemployed so they are unable to manage rent payments . The government is not considering the status of our community in the society,” she said.
Uma from Jeeva, an NGO for third gender said that the government is not considering the issues faced by third gender. “Third gender will suffer if the government does not introduce more housing schemes for them,” Uma said.
Prashanth, a professor at the Women Studies department of Bangalore University said that it is more difficult for third gender to get a rented house in the city and even if they get a house, owners demand huge rent. “Most third gender face humiliation, hatred and violence from their own family members and from society,” he said. He added that government has to take suitable steps to include all third gender in housing schemes. “If possible the government can conduct census report on third gender and allot some reservations in all government programs,” he said.
