Primary Submission Category: Structural factors
Cissexism and the Structural Vulnerability Framework to Understand Housing Instability Among Transgender and Gender Diverse Populations
Authors: Katrina Kennedy, Jennifer Glick, Danielle German,
Presenting Author: Katrina Kennedy*
Transgender and gender diverse (TGD) populations experience a disproportionate burden of housing instability compared to cisgender peers. The structural vulnerability framework has been used to explain how systems of oppression drive health inequities among TGD populations but has not been applied to housing experiences. In response to community-identified priorities, we conducted a qualitative study on housing instability, safety, and services among racially/ethnically diverse TGD adults in Baltimore City who had experienced housing instability. The study was designed and conducted with active leadership by TGD team members and community advisors. Between July 2022 and December 2023, we completed 32 semi-structured lifeline interviews . Thematic analysis revealed that cissexism shapes housing contexts through policies and practices within institutions and programs (e.g. binary gendered dorms, exclusionary application processes, transphobic staff) and housing assistance (e.g. requiring matching gender markers on identity documents). Participants’ experiences demonstrated that cissexism not only directly shapes housing contexts, but also drives co-occurring and mutually reinforcing structural vulnerabilities across the eight domains of the structural vulnerability framework: financial security, residence, risk environment, food access, social network, legal status, education, and discrimination. The structural vulnerability framework provides a critical lens to identify how cissexism shapes housing instability across multiple domains. Findings highlight the urgent need for interdisciplinary, coordinated action in local responses and population-level prevention efforts. Recognizing these interlocking vulnerabilities reveals multiple intervention points where policy change and resource redistribution – e.g. reducing administrative barriers in public assistance and strengthening legal protections – can support housing stability and overall wellbeing for TGD populations.