FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

April 28, 2026

Housing Works vehemently opposes the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s proposal to change housing definitions and criteria from gender identity to sex assigned at birth, under their executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”

The Trump Administration continues to seek ways to codify discrimination into federal housing policy. This new rule attempts to override state and local nondiscrimination laws, and threaten funding for cities and providers that protect LGBTQIA+ residents. It is a cynical maneuver to stoke fear, distract from systemic failures, and punish those who have already been failed by society.

Over one-third of transgender women living with HIV in the United States face homelessness, and this proposal will have deadly consequences, as trans people will be effectively excluded from safe shelter. By allowing shelter operators to demand proof of sex, the rule invites humiliating and discriminatory practices that puts trans people in danger and deters people from seeking out housing opportunities. Demands for documentation will result in denial of services for gender‑nonconforming individuals and send them back to the street.

Our Federal government must stop routinely putting vulnerable communities at risk. This executive proposal helps no one, and instead reflects the Trump Administration's anti-civil rights agenda. We call on New York Attorney General Letitia James to challenge this legal proposal in court and stand up for our most vulnerable unhoused populations.

###