There are many reasons why someone may find themselves homeless, when pressures build up and the right support just isn’t there. Research by organisations such as AKT, Stonewall & Mind have found that people who identify as LGBTQIA+ are at greater risk of homelessness. 

So what are the reasons? 

Housing Insecurity 

10% of LGBTQIA+ people are discriminated against while looking for a home to buy or rent, making it harder to find secure, affordable accommodation.

Job Insecurity 

LGBTQIA+ people are less likely to be hired, and almost one in five LGBTQIA+ people have faced discrimination because of their identity whilst trying to get a job. When in employment, they are more likely to experience discrimination or harassment in the workplace, are more likely to be paid less and are less likely to be promoted. 

Lack of family support 

50% of LGBTQIA+ youth fear that expressing their LGBTQIA+ identity to family members would lead to eviction. Almost one fifth of LGBTQIA+ people that are kicked out felt like they had to engage in unwanted relationships to find somewhere to stay whilst homeless. 

Mental health 
 
Over 70% of LGBTQIA+ people have suffered from poor mental health through trauma, internalised shame, fear or experience of discrimination or mistreatment, and loss of support networks. 

Our Pledges
 
Although we are not an organisation that focuses wholly on LGBTQIA+ homelessness, we believe that it is important to understand the links between the barriers facing this community and how these push individuals into homelessness.

Our LGBTQIA+ Network is pledging to do five things to support our understanding;
 
1) Training – We pledge to create more specific training for our staff surrounding Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, and how to better serve our LGBTQIA+ Clients & Staff. 
 
2) External Voice – We pledge to use our platforms to give a voice to the often marginalised LGBTQIA+ community, and to do the work to understand the ever-developing terminology and considerations surrounding those within it. 
 
3) Internal Network – We pledge to continue building our internal LGBTQIA+ Network and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Steering Group to centre how we can develop our support, policies, services and ways of working to be more mindful and inclusive of LGBTQIA+ people. 
 
4) Understand our clients – We pledge to get to know the demographics of our client populations more accurately, in order to better understand the intersectionality of the experiences they face. 
 
5) Partnerships and Amplification – We pledge to actively support and amplify the voices of organisations and individuals that are working in the field of LGBTQIA+ Homelessness, and to build meaningful relationships. 
  

Everyone deserves a place to call home. We are dedicated to becoming an even more intersectional organisation and ensuring that no one is left behind.