The Trump administration is once again targeting transgender Americans through federal housing policy, this time with a proposed rule that could allow federally funded homeless shelters to turn away transgender people or house them according to their sex assigned at birth instead of their gender identity.
The proposal, announced by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), would roll back protections created under the Obama-era Equal Access Rule, which required shelters receiving federal funding to place transgender people in facilities matching their gender identity. The new rule would erase references to “gender identity” throughout HUD regulations and replace them with “sex,” defined strictly as biological sex assigned at birth.
If finalized, shelters could legally separate residents by biological sex and even request documentation or other proof before allowing someone into a single-sex shelter. Critics say the policy opens the door to humiliation, invasive questioning, and increased violence against transgender people already facing high rates of homelessness.
HUD Secretary Scott Turner defended the proposal by framing it as a move to restore what the administration calls “biological truth.” According to the Federal Register filing, the rule is tied directly to President Donald Trump’s executive order titled “Defending Women from Gender Ideology Extremism and Restoring Biological Truth to the Federal Government.”
LGBTQ advocates and housing organizations are warning the policy could have devastating real-world consequences. The National Housing Law Project called the proposal “cruel and violent,” arguing many transgender people may avoid shelters altogether out of fear of harassment or assault. Housing groups also point to data showing transgender Americans — especially transgender youth — experience homelessness at disproportionately high rates.
Advocates say the proposal is part of a broader effort to dismantle LGBTQ protections across federal agencies. The rule would impact emergency shelters, domestic violence housing, public housing programs, Section 8 assistance, and other HUD-funded services nationwide. Some organizations also fear the administration may attempt to override state and local anti-discrimination laws if the rule is adopted.
The proposed rule is currently in a 60-day public comment period before HUD decides whether to finalize it.
