Many housing insecure sex workers are more reliant on street based work which often is more unsafe. Street Based work allows you little ability to fully screen your clients, leaves you open as a target to attacks, and often forces sex workers to accept lower rates. This in combination with harassment and intimidation from police and an unsteady client stream makes it very difficult to maintain the income to sustain rent payments. Housing gives many sex workers security and safety they need and allows sex workers to negotiate better rates and screen clients in the privacy of their own homes.

Many service providers stop providing services to trans folks who are over than 24, and since Black and Brown Trans sex workers often are so isolated some don't hear about these services until they are in their early 20s and they age out while waiting on a never ending voucher list. Many who are able to get these services are faced with limits such as curfews, no guest policies, cameras, and nightly bed checks. Often times Trans sex workers travel in groups and sometimes folks don't want to stay at a new place by themselves (and for good reason, we need to keep eachother safe). When we've worked with our networks on short term housing we've often tried to find spaces that would accommodate more than one person for this reason.

It would allow them to work without fear of criminalization. It would decrease stigmatization. Both criminalization and stigmatization greatly limit sex workers from seeking out resources when they are in need. It would allow sex workers more autonomy on their employment. By criminalizing sex work, the District actually makes it more difficult for sex workers and former sex workers to find alternative employment, report acts of violence, and practice safer sex.