None of the 48 BBMP night shelters is meant for transgender individuals. Doubts remain on whether the new one in Gandhinagar will be designated to them.
Not one of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike’s (BBMP) 48 homeless shelters in the city, is designated for the transgender community. According to news reports, in 2019, BBMP promised a new shelter for them, but there’s been little progress on that.
Transgender people are often abandoned by their families, forcing them onto the streets where they resort to begging or sex work. Discrimination from landlords, makes it difficult for them to secure housing and employment, leaving them homeless.
Tabu, a transgender woman from Tamil Nadu, begs on the streets of KR Market every day. She said, “Getting a home is difficult because no one wants to rent a house to a ‘kinnar.’ If my family supported me, I’d be with them. Unfortunately, I’m on the streets because my family didn’t support me. They asked me to leave because they felt embarrassed about neighbors calling me ‘hijra.’ So, 20 years ago, I left home and moved to Bangalore.”

Krishnappa, BBMP community organizer (welfare) for West Zone, said that construction of a shelter next to the Upparpet police station began two to three months ago. However, they haven’t decided if the place will be for women or transgender people. He said, “We’re waiting for guidance and a circular from the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) office. We’ll prepare the Detailed Project Report (DPR) after receiving the necessary instructions. As of now, the decision on whether it’s for women or transgender people is not finalized.”
On the contrary, officials from the BBMP head office said that due to being burdened with other tasks, they’re unable to concentrate on the night shelters. Janardhan Achar, community organizer at the BBMP Welfare Office, said, “We are currently in the process of preparing a DPR for the shelter. Once approved, the facility will be opened shortly. He added, “Given the concentration of transgender people near Majestic, it’s the chosen location. Currently occupied with other tasks, we plan to shift our focus to night shelters in a few weeks. The responsibility of creating the DPR lies with the zonal officers.”

One of reasons for the delay in process is a shortage of land in specific areas. Edward Thomas, from Dream India Network, an NGO, working closely with BBMP, said, “Frequent transfers, especially in Joint Commissioner and Special Commissioner roles within BBMP-Welfare office, contribute to delays. By the time someone considers it, the officer changes.”
Edward also addressed the lack of beneficiaries for schemes for transgender people. He said, “around 500 to 550 people applied for the self-employment scheme, but only a few received funds. Additionally, lack of awareness about medical reimbursement schemes led to low applications.” He added, “often, funds allocated for BBMP’s skill development are not utilized properly.”
Experts say that it is a clear demonstration of the widespread marginalization experienced by the LGBTQIA+ community in multiple aspects. Dr. Madhura Ganguli, a gender studies professor in Noida, spoke about the need for special attention to the transgender community. She said, “The government must allocate dedicated time to address their challenges and take action accordingly.”
She added, “It’s challenging for transgender people to shift from traditional work to a specific job. Some have succeeded in fields like tailoring and ornament-making through skill training, showcasing success stories. However, the government should plan for subsidies, incentives, and safe living spaces to improve their living conditions.”