T4T Care Collective, a mutual aid group for trans and gender expansive individuals in the triangle of NC, is launching an emergency housing project using a converted school bus!
The vision
One of our members bought this 40ft bus for us to use for about three to five years, to house trans and gender expansive people who need a safe place to stay. A small group of us have held several visioning sessions for this project, and, although there’s a lot to figure out still, we’ve made some key initial decisions:
Because of the unique oppression and transmisogynoir that Black trans women and Black trans femmes face, we’re going to prioritize housing Black trans women and femmes.
We want to give bus visitors the opportunity to opt in to more comprehensive support, such as meal drop offs and longer term housing solutions after their stay. There are many allied groups in the triangle, and we hope to build partnerships with them for addressing various needs.
We also hope that managing this resource as a non-hierarchical group will be an incredible skill-building opportunity for us. What community agreements will we make?How will we move through conflict?
We’re looking for a parking spot!
Before we officially open up the bus for the community to use, we need to find its home! We’d love for the bus to be located on a farm, spacious backyard, or wooded area that’s private and safe. Our must-haves:
- Trans friendly land steward
- Flat area for 40 ft long bus
- Accessible location in the triangle area
- Parking nearby for people staying in the bus and volunteers
- Ability to plug into a main house for power and water
- Access to an indoor shower in the winter
Contact us by clicking the button below if you’re interested in hosting us on your property. We’ll reach out and schedule an initial conversation about possibly collaborating, with no pressure to commit to anything right away. (If you don’t have the space but know someone who might be willing to host this project on their land, send them this post!)
The inspiration
The idea of using a converted bus for emergency housing was initially conceived by T4T Care Collective member, Coi. They excitedly shared this dream with the group before they passed away unexpectedly, so this project will be carried out because of and in memory of them.
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