Garima Greh Statistics 2026: Shelter Homes for Transgender Persons by State
· 2 min read · 4 official sources
There were 21 Garima Greh shelter homes for transgender persons running in 17 states as of April 2026, according to PIB. In August 2025 the Social Justice Ministry told Lok Sabha that 429 people were living in the homes it supported and Rs 8.25 crore had been released and used. State figures are below.
Garima Greh - Shelter Homes for Transgender Persons: key numbers
Infographic
Garima Grehs supported by the Ministry, by state (August 2025)
Number of Garima Greh shelter homes supported by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment in each state, as given in a Lok Sabha reply on 19 August 2025. Homes sanctioned later are not included.
| State | Garima Grehs |
|---|---|
| Maharashtra | 3 |
| West Bengal | 2 |
| Andhra Pradesh | 1 |
| Assam | 1 |
| Bihar | 1 |
| Chhattisgarh | 1 |
| Delhi | 1 |
| Gujarat | 1 |
| Karnataka | 1 |
| Madhya Pradesh | 1 |
| Odisha | 1 |
| Punjab | 1 |
| Rajasthan | 1 |
| Tamil Nadu | 1 |
| Uttar Pradesh | 1 |
Source: pib.gov.in, as on 19 August 2025
How a person gets a place in a Garima Greh
What the numbers show
Garima Greh is the shelter home part of the SMILE scheme of the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment. Each home is run by a community based organisation with central funding and gives transgender persons who have lost family support a safe place to live, with food, medical care, counselling and skill training.
According to a PIB backgrounder of 20 April 2026, 21 Garima Grehs are operational across 17 states, and 3 more were sanctioned in August 2025. The homes were first piloted in 2021, so the network is still small.
State by state
The most detailed state table comes from a Lok Sabha reply of 19 August 2025. At that point the Ministry supported 18 homes in 15 states. Maharashtra had the most with 3, followed by West Bengal with 2. Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh had one each. New homes were approved that year for Jharkhand, Manipur and Madhya Pradesh, and a PIB note of December 2025 lists Madhya Pradesh with 2 homes and adds Jharkhand and Manipur to the map.
Proposals from NGOs for more homes had been sent to 14 states for their recommendation, so the count may keep rising.
People and money
The same reply said 429 people were living in the supported homes and that Rs 8.25 crore had been released and used by the homes under SMILE so far. Every home has a counsellor, and residents can also use the Tele MANAS mental health helpline (14416).
What the figures do not tell you
The resident count is a snapshot on one day, not the total number of people helped since 2021. Some states run their own shelters for transgender persons outside SMILE, and those are not counted here. Large states with only one home may have long waiting lists, so the number of homes says little about how easy it is to get a place.
Where to check for updates
The Ministry gives fresh numbers in answers to Parliament questions, which PIB publishes. The National Portal for Transgender Persons at transgender.dosje.gov.in carries scheme details and the list of supported homes.
Frequently asked questions
How many Garima Grehs are there in India?
PIB reported in April 2026 that 21 Garima Grehs were operational across 17 states, with 3 more sanctioned in August 2025.
Which state has the most Garima Grehs?
Maharashtra had 3 homes and West Bengal 2 in the Lok Sabha reply of 19 August 2025. Every other listed state had one. A later PIB note also shows Madhya Pradesh with 2.
How many people live in Garima Grehs?
The Ministry told Lok Sabha on 19 August 2025 that 429 people were staying in the Garima Grehs it supported at that time.
How much money has been spent on Garima Grehs?
Rs 8.25 crore had been released and utilised by Garima Grehs under the SMILE scheme, according to the same August 2025 Lok Sabha reply.
Where are the newest Garima Grehs?
New homes were approved for Jharkhand, Manipur and Madhya Pradesh in 2025-26. A December 2025 PIB note also mentions homes sanctioned at Puducherry, Basti and Gautambudhnagar.
Eligibility, documents and how to apply: Garima Greh - Shelter Homes for Transgender Persons full guide
Charts, data files and the infographic are free to download, share and embed with a link back to this page.
Sources
This guide was checked against these official pages:
- pib.gov.in (www.pib.gov.in/PressNoteDetails.aspx?NoteId=158259&ModuleId=3®=3&lang=1)
- pib.gov.in (pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2157945)
- pib.gov.in (www.pib.gov.in/PressReleseDetailm.aspx?PRID=2191532®=3&lang=2)
- transgender.dosje.gov.in (transgender.dosje.gov.in/)