Moving to Eugene as a trans person

You do not have to plan this move alone. Cascades Community Placement Services (CCPS) is a Eugene-based mutual aid group that helps people get themselves into safer situations in the Pacific Northwest. They can help with transportation, temporary and permanent housing, food, clothing, medical supplies, job support, and counseling.

• Apply anyway. CCPS asks you not to rule yourself out. If they can't help directly, they refer you to someone who can.
• How: fill out the form on their help page as best you can. They usually reply within a few days.
• Contact: Signal is their preferred method (CCPS.64). You can also call 541-513-9204 or email contact@orccps.org.

WERQ TOGETHER supports trans people across Oregon, including Eugene, and can help you plan your move from wherever you are now. Book a time with a WERQ navigator.

For the statewide basics, start with Moving to Oregon as a trans person and Fund your move to Oregon. This path covers what is specific to Eugene.

Eugene costs less than Portland, but it is not cheap. In early 2026, a studio or one-bedroom in Eugene and Springfield rented for about $1,350 to $1,400 a month on average. Budget for first month, deposit, and fees on top of that.

• Don't sign a lease for a place you haven't seen. People moving to Oregon have been scammed into 12-month leases on units they never saw. Ask CCPS, a WERQ navigator, or someone at The Lavender Network to help you check out a place or tour it for you.
• Section 8 is not an option right now. Homes for Good, Lane County's housing authority, is still working through its 2022 waitlist and is not taking new applications. Sign up for their newsletter at homesforgood.org to hear when it opens.
• If you are at risk of being unhoused: ShelterCare (541-686-1262) offers shelter, transitional housing, and supportive housing in Lane County.
• If you plan to take classes anywhere in Lane County (Lane Community College or a trade program counts), the Students' Cooperative Association runs co-op houses near campus starting around $322 a month, meals included.

Shared housing is the most common way people land affordably. Ask in trans community spaces online before you arrive.

Line up work, or at least an active search, before you move. Eugene's job market is smaller than Portland's, so give yourself time.

• TransPonder Resource and Employment Navigation: trans-led navigators who help with job searching, job skills, goals, and benefits. Email abbyr@transponderoregon.org with the subject line "Job Skills Program".
• WorkSource Oregon Lane: the public job center at 2510 Oakmont Way (541-686-7601), free for any adult, Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm. Ask about WIOA funds if you want paid job training.
• Goodwill Job Connection: free resume and interview help, computers, and job leads, with no documents needed. In Eugene at 855 Seneca Rd (541-431-3309) and in Springfield at 102 30th St.

If you are 24 or younger:

• Connected Lane County (541-654-4095): a youth job board, paid internships, and hiring fairs.
• Looking Glass Riverfront Career Center (541-302-2554): paid work experience for low-income young people ages 14 to 24.

If you are 19 to 26: Northwest Youth Corps runs paid 12-week forestry crews in Eugene with a stipend of up to $9,600. Crews start in terms, so check the next start date.

Need your resume in shape first? See Updating your resume for 2026.

The easiest front door in Eugene is The Lavender Network, Lane County's first permanent LGBTQ center, at 1590 Willamette St. Drop in Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, or call or text 541-342-7105.

One building holds a lot:

• Transition Health, a family medicine clinic built for queer and trans patients
• Queer Eugene, including their clothing closet
• Behavioral health services, help with health-related social needs (HRSN), and community events
• Some TransPonder support groups meet here too

Tell the front desk you just moved. The people there know the town and can point you to what you need next.

If you have heard of CAHOOTS: it no longer serves Eugene. It ended there in April 2025 and now only covers Springfield. Save these instead:

• Call or text 988 for a mental health crisis, any time.
• Lane County Crisis Line: 541-682-1001, open 24/7. It can send Mobile Crisis Services of Lane County to you, weekdays 6am to 11pm and weekends 2pm to 11pm.
• Trans Lifeline: 877-565-8860, peer support run by and for trans people.
• White Bird Clinic's crisis line (541-687-4000) is open weekdays only, Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Save them now, while things are calm, so you are not searching when you need them. See also When you're in a mental health crisis.

• Food: FOOD For Lane County has a Food Finder that shows free pantries and meal sites by zip code and day. Call the site before you go, because hours change. The Dining Room at 270 W 8th Ave serves a free hot meal Monday to Thursday. If your income is low, apply for SNAP now: see Get OHP and SNAP when you move to Oregon.
• Getting around: Lane Transit District runs the buses. A ride is $1.75 and a 31-day pass is $50. Pay with the Umo app or a tap card and your fares cap automatically. Half fare is for people on Medicare, SSI or SSDI, or with a qualifying disability.
• Power and water: If you live in Eugene, start service with EWEB (541-685-7000). Income-eligible customers can get a $280 bill credit once a year, with no Social Security number required.

Getting in with a primary care provider early keeps your hormones from lapsing. Bring a list of your current prescriptions and doses, and records from your last provider if you have them.

If you have private insurance, call the number on your card and ask which of these are in network before you book:

• Transition Health (541-357-7594, call or text): full gender-affirming primary care inside The Lavender Network. In network with PacificSource and Moda (and Trillium and IHN for OHP members). If your plan is not in network, they offer a membership or sliding scale.
• OnePeak Medical, Eugene (541-246-6613): primary care with hormone therapy built in. In network with most PPO plans.
• Planned Parenthood of Southwestern Oregon (541-344-9411): hormone therapy at 3579 Franklin Blvd.

If you have OHP or no insurance:

• Community Health Centers of Lane County (541-682-3550): gender-affirming primary care, with OHP and a sliding scale.
• White Bird Clinic (medical clinic 541-484-4800): low-barrier medical, dental, and counseling care.

Not insured yet? If your income is low, you can apply for OHP as soon as you live here. See Get OHP and SNAP when you move to Oregon.

Moving is a lot, even when it is the right call. A therapist can help you land, and many can write letters if you need them for surgery.

• Bridges Community Health (541-255-1411): therapy and medication management with LGBTQIA+ therapists.
• Live Grow Share: peer-run counseling from people with lived experience. Trans-affirming, and takes private insurance and a sliding scale.
• Eugene Center for Anxiety and Stress (541-717-8235): a dedicated gender support team. It is now part of Optum Behavioral Care, so check that your plan covers it.
• Fjord Counseling: an LGBTQIA2+ group practice with a FjordPRIDE program.

Browse more Eugene therapists in the healthcare directory.

• Oregon ID or driver license: Oregon lets you choose M, F, or X by self-attestation, with no doctor's letter. The Eugene DMV is at 499 Valley River Center. Walk-ins are welcome, and booking ahead through DMV2U gets you in faster. If you drive, Oregon expects you to switch to an Oregon license within 30 days of moving.
• Legal name change: once you live in Lane County, file at Lane County Circuit Court, 125 E 8th Ave (541-682-4020). There is usually no hearing, and fee waivers are available. A sex marker petition can be filed in any Oregon county.

Full steps: Change your name and gender marker in Oregon.

• Springfield Eugene Tenant Association (541-972-3715): a free tenant-rights hotline. Leave a voicemail any time with a short summary; they call back within about a day, faster if you mention an urgent notice.
• Lane County Legal Aid (541-485-1017): free legal help with evictions, benefits, and more if your income is low.
• City of Eugene Rental Housing Program (541-682-8282): if your landlord won't fix something serious, give written notice and wait 10 days (48 hours for essentials like heat or water), then file a complaint with the city.
• Tenant First Aid: a free online tool that explains your rights and helps you write letters to your landlord.

Got an eviction notice? Call the Eviction Defense Project at 888-585-9638 right away.

Community is what makes a new town feel like home.

• TransPonder: trans-founded and trans-led. Call 541-321-0872, text 541-632-8953, or email info@transponderoregon.org. Support groups include trans community, trans masc, TransParent, and queer, trans and disability groups, plus social nights like Trans Masc Social Hour and Trans Femme Social Night. Check their calendar for dates.
• Queer Eugene: events, education, and a clothing closet.
• Haus of Créme: a transmasc-led drag house with Eugene's best kings, quings, and enby performers. Follow them for upcoming shows (most are 21 and up).
• Eugene Springfield PRIDE: the summer festival and events through the year.
• American Traditional Barbershop: an LGBTQ-owned barbershop for every gender expression.

For more, see Finding your trans community in Oregon and Find trans and queer arts, culture, and drag in Oregon.