It’s time to speak out against a proposal by President Trump’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to allow emergency shelters to discriminate against transgender and nonbinary people. While it’s always cruel to roll back protections for people experiencing homelessness, it’s especially so when everyone, regardless of gender identity, needs a safe place to live to protect ourselves and our communities from COVID-19.
We first learned of the Trump administration’s intent to weaken the Equal Access Rule last summer, but HUD didn’t formally publish the proposal and open it for public comment until a few weeks ago. Adopted in 2016, the current rule requires emergency shelters to house clients according to their gender identity, prohibits them from denying gender-affirming placements based on other residents’ objections or biases, and prevents them from requiring proof of biological characteristics or gender-affirming medical treatment.
The Trump administration’s proposal instead would allow a shelter provider to establish its own policy outlining how it would consider an individual’s sex in determining whether and how to provide services. The proposal is based on a crude and factually inaccurate concept of “biological sex” that ultimately could result in the denial of safe shelter to trans- and cisgender people alike.
This is especially alarming right now because people experiencing homelessness are twice as likely to be hospitalized, two to four times as likely to require critical care, and two to three times as likely to die from coronavirus as those who are housed. Homelessness disproportionately affects transgender people, including trans youth. Family members may force them to leave their homes through rejection or abuse, and trans people often face employment discrimination, which made it hard to afford basic needs like housing even before COVID-19 ravaged the economy. Given the racial disparities associated with both coronavirus and homelessness, HUD’s plan is particularly dangerous to trans women of color.
This economic precarity and housing instability may place trans and nonbinary members of our communities at a heightened risk of exposure to, and adverse outcomes from, COVID-19. With limited options to earn money in legal ways, some may turn to stigmatized occupations like sex work that make social distancing virtually impossible and increase the odds of pre-existing health conditions that make them more vulnerable to the impact of coronavirus.
Barriers to quality healthcare, such as lack of insurance coverage and discrimination or abuse by healthcare providers, further compound the health risks transgender and nonbinary people face on a daily basis. These glaring flaws in our healthcare system, which contribute to the persistence of broader social inequities, have only become more obvious during the pandemic.
Unsurprisingly, jails and prisons have proven to be hotbeds for COVID-19, which remains a threat despite emergency efforts to reduce Michigan’s incarcerated population and other safety measures. Because our society criminalizes many of the things people affected by transphobia and homelessness must do just to survive, this means trans and nonbinary people may face exposure in jail because they were trying to meet their basic needs or simply can’t afford bail.
This is not the Trump administration’s first step in endangering the lives of transgender and nonbinary people during this pandemic. In June, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reversed an Obama-era decision to include gender identity in a rule prohibiting sex-based discrimination by healthcare providers, facilities and insurers. Additionally, the administration has publicly sided with employers whom the Supreme Court determined were illegally discriminating against LGBTQIA+ people. Taken together, these stances provide a textbook example of systemic oppression.
As we battle the overarching threat of COVID-19, we must not forget about the many other longstanding public health threats, including transphobia, racism and antipathy toward homeless people, that continue to drive the failed response by those at our nation’s highest levels of leadership. We have until Sept. 22 to tell HUD to keep the Equal Access Rule in place. Please join us in defending safe shelter for all during the pandemic and beyond by submitting your comment here.
Jay Cutler joined the League in March 2026 as the Kids Count Senior Data Analyst, where he collects, analyzes, and prepares data for Kids Count in Michigan.
Danielle Taylor-Basemore joined the League as the Development Data and Stewardship Coordinator in June 2025. She brings with her five years of nonprofit experience with a special focus on community engagement, data visualization and strategic programming. Prior to joining the League, Danielle served as the Business District, Safety, and Digital Manager at Jefferson East, Inc.
Scott Preston is a Senior Policy Analyst with the Michigan League for Public Policy, where he leads the organization’s immigration and criminal justice reform portfolios. In the three years prior to joining the League, Scott facilitated the Southeast Michigan Refugee Collaborative and managed a small business economic development program at Global Detroit. His work included launching Michigan’s first Refugee Film Festival and building on a trusted connector model that linked marginalized communities with crucial resources. Scott’s work at the League is informed by his background in journalism and research. He spent four years covering the Syrian refugee crisis in the Middle East for publications such as The Economist, and later worked with unaccompanied refugee minors through Samaritas. Scott holds a master’s degree in international migration and public policy from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Kate Powers joined the League as the Chief Development Officer in February 2025. Prior to joining the League, Kate held leadership positions at many Michigan nonprofit organizations, most recently serving as the COO and Chief Development Officer of Ele’s Place. Kate has spent the bulk of her career in fundraising, with a short stint in the state Legislature as a legislative aide to members in both chambers. Kate is a graduate of Michigan State University’s James Madison College with a Bachelor of Arts in Social Relations and has a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University. Additionally, Kate served on the East Lansing Public Schools Board of Education and is a past President of the Junior League of Lansing. In her free time, she enjoys traveling with her husband and her son and saving outfit of the day and home decor ideas on Pinterest. 
Nicholas Hess joined the League as the Fiscal Policy Analyst in September of 2024. In this role, Nicholas focuses on tax policy, government revenue, and their impact on working families and racial equity, including the effects of the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Child Tax Credit (CTC). Nicholas values the role that judicious fiscal policy can play in the improvement of people’s lives and the economy, alleviating inequities along the way.
Audrey Matusz joined the League as the Visual Communications Specialist in September 2024. She supports the team with implementing social media strategies and brainstorming creative ways to talk about public policy. She brings with her nearly a decade of experience in producing digital products for evidence-based social justice initiatives. 
Jacob Kaplan 
Donald Stuckey 
Alexandra Stamm 
Amari Fuller
Mikell Frey is a communications professional with a passion for using the art of storytelling to positively impact lives. She strongly believes that positive social change can be inspired by the sharing of data-driven information coupled with the unique perspectives of people from all walks of life across Michigan, especially those who have faced extraordinary barriers. 
Yona Isaacs (she/hers) is an Early Childhood Data Analyst for the Kids Count project. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, she began her career as a research coordinator in pediatric psychiatry using data to understand the impacts of brain activity and genetics on children’s behavior and mental health symptoms. This work prompted an interest in exploring social determinants of health and the role of policy in promoting equitable opportunities for all children, families, and communities. She returned to the University of Michigan to complete her Masters in Social Work focused on Social Policy and Evaluation, during which she interned with the ACLU of Michigan’s policy and legislative team and assisted local nonprofit organizations in creating data and evaluation metrics. She currently serves as a coordinator for the Michigan Center for Youth Justice on a project aiming to increase placement options and enhance cultural competency within the juvenile justice system for LGBTQIA+ youth. Yona is eager to put her data skills to work at the League in support of data-driven policies that advocate for equitable access to healthcare, education, economic security, and opportunity for 0-5 year old children. In her free time, she enjoys tackling DIY house projects and trying new outdoor activities with her dog.
Rachel Richards rejoined the League in December 2020 as the Fiscal Policy Director working on state budget and tax policies. Prior to returning to the League, she served as the Director of Legislative Affairs for the Michigan Department of Treasury, the tax policy analyst and Legislative Director for the Michigan League for Public Policy, and a policy analyst and the Appropriations Coordinator for the Democratic Caucus of the Michigan House of Representatives. She brings with her over a decade of experience in policies focused on economic opportunity, including workforce issues, tax, and state budget.
Simon Marshall-Shah joined the Michigan League for Public Policy as a State Policy Fellow in August 2019. His work focuses on state policy as it relates to the budget, immigration, health care and other League policy priorities. Before joining the League, he worked in Washington, D.C. at the Association for Community Affiliated Plans (ACAP), providing federal policy and advocacy support to nonprofit, Medicaid health plans (Safety Net Health Plans) related to the ACA Marketplaces as well as Quality & Operations.
Renell Weathers, Michigan League for Public Policy (MLPP) Community Engagement Consultant. As community engagement consultant, Renell works with organizations throughout the state in connecting the impact of budget and tax policies to their communities. She is motivated by the belief that all children and adults deserve the opportunity to achieve their dreams regardless of race, ethnicity, religion or economic class.
Emily Jorgensen joined the Michigan League for Public Policy in July 2019. She deeply cares about the well-being of individuals and families and has a great love for Michigan. She is grateful that her position at the League enables her to combine these passions and work to help promote policies that will lead to better opportunities and security for all Michiganders.
Megan Farnsworth joined the League’s staff in December 2022 as Executive Assistant. Megan is driven by work that is personally fulfilling, and feels honored to help support the work of an organization that pushes for more robust programming and opportunities for the residents of our state. She’s excited and motivated to gain overarching knowledge of the policies and agendas that the League supports.
