Most emergency and temporary homeless shelters and shelter systems in the United States are segregated by sex. There are men’s facilities, women’s facilities, facilities that house both men and women but in separate quarters, youth facilities, and family facilities. Placement at most facilities is typically based on assumptions about a person’s sex— that is, male or female. Many facilities, especially youth facilities, have rules about gender- related dress or appearance. As a result, transgender youth and adults, who identify as or express a gender that is different from their birth sex, can experience extreme difficulties in obtaining adequate and safe shelter. Because of the many problems faced by transgender people seeking shelter, the National Coalition for the Homeless adopted a nondiscrimination resolution that protects people on the basis of gender identity or expression in October of 2003 (see Appendix A). --59 pages --