Garima Greh - Shelter Homes for Transgender Persons

What is Garima Greh?

Garima Greh is a scheme of shelter homes for transgender persons, run as part of the SMILE (Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise) scheme of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. The name "Garima Greh" translates to "home of dignity," and the scheme is designed to give transgender persons a safe place to live along with the food, healthcare, counselling and skills they need to rebuild their lives.

According to the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, transgender persons are among the most marginalised groups in the country, often facing rejection by their families, exclusion from housing, and barriers to healthcare and employment. Garima Greh addresses this by providing a supportive residential environment where basic needs are met and residents are helped towards independent living through capacity-building.

Around 21 Garima Grehs are operational across 17 states, with more approved for establishment. Each home is run by a community-based organisation (CBO) or NGO funded by the department, not by government staff directly.

What a Garima Greh provides

• Free shelter and boarding in a safe residential setting.
• Nutritious food and clothing for residents.
• Medical care, including help accessing gender-affirmation and general health services.
• Counselling and mental-health support.
• Yoga, meditation and recreation facilities.
• Capacity-building and skill development so residents can earn a livelihood.

Garima Greh sits within the wider SMILE scheme, which has two components; one for the welfare of transgender persons and one for the rehabilitation of persons engaged in begging. On the transgender side, SMILE covers not just shelter but also scholarships, medical and health support (including under a composite package), skill development and livelihood. Garima Greh is the residential piece of this larger effort, giving people a stable base from which the other supports can reach them.

Who is eligible for Garima Greh?

You can seek shelter if:

• You are a transgender person in need of shelter, food and support.
• You are homeless, have been rejected by your family, or otherwise require a safe residential space.

Because Garima Greh is a welfare shelter, the emphasis is on reaching people who need help rather than on paperwork. A Transgender Certificate or Identity Card, issued through the National Portal for Transgender Persons, helps establish identity, but a person in urgent need is not turned away simply for lack of a document.

Who cannot apply / who this is not for:

• Garima Greh is not a cash-benefit scheme: there is no monetary payout to claim, so this is not the route for financial assistance.
• Individuals cannot apply to run a Garima Greh as a personal benefit; homes are sanctioned only to organisations selected by the ministry.

How to apply for a place in a Garima Greh

1. Call the national transgender helpline 14567, which can direct you to the nearest Garima Greh and the organisation that runs it.
2. Alternatively, approach a community-based organisation or NGO working with the transgender community in your city: many operate or are linked to a Garima Greh.
3. Meet the operating organisation, which assesses your need for shelter and arranges admission; there is no online application form.
4. If you do not already have one, apply for a Transgender Certificate and Identity Card through the National Portal for Transgender Persons at transgender.dosje.gov.in, which helps you access other entitlements too.

Because admissions are handled locally by the operating organisation, the exact process varies from home to home. The helpline and the transgender portal are the most reliable starting points if you do not already know a local NGO.

The Transgender Certificate and Identity Card, issued online through the National Portal for Transgender Persons, is worth obtaining even for a resident who first came in without documents. Under the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, this certificate lets a person be legally recognised in their self-identified gender and is the key that unlocks other entitlements — from scholarships to health support under SMILE, that a Garima Greh resident may go on to use. Staff and NGOs running the homes often help residents apply for it.

How organisations set up a Garima Greh

Garima Greh homes are not run by individuals but by NGOs and community-based organisations selected by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment. An organisation wishing to run a home responds to the ministry's project process under the SMILE scheme, meets the eligibility norms for grant-in-aid, and receives funds to operate the shelter. This institutional route, not an individual application; is how new homes come into being.

Help and contact

• National transgender helpline: 14567
• National Portal for Transgender Persons: transgender.dosje.gov.in, for the Transgender Certificate and Identity Card and for information on shelter and welfare
• Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, which administers the SMILE scheme under which Garima Greh operates

Garima Greh is a free service. No transgender person should be asked to pay for admission, and identity documents can be obtained free through the transgender portal.