February marks LGBTQ+ History Month in the UK. This is an opportunity for all of us to take time and reflect on how far we’ve come and how far we still have to go when protecting the rights and welfare of LGBTQ+ people.
While so much progress has been made and pride flags fly loud and proud, sadly, there are still so many LGBTQ+ people who face homophobia, transphobia, estrangement, violence and, in this discussion, homelessness.
What are the causes of LGBTQ+ homelessness?
While government research showed that the causes of homelessness in these communities are largely similar to those of non-LGBTQ+ people (family/relationship breakdowns, abuse, evictions, debt, substance addictions, etc.), when they dug a little deeper, they found that many of these estrangements were as a direct result of sexual orientation specifically.
The akt LGBT youth homelessness report stated that over 75% of the people they surveyed cited 'family rejection, abuse or being asked to leave home' as the cause of their homelessness.
Disproportionate numbers of LGBTQ+ people face homelessness
This is, at least, compared to the general population. Research from Stonewall shares that as many as one in five LGBTQ+ people will experience homelessness at some point in their lives, with this increasing to one in four in the transgender community.
LGBTQ+ youth are a particularly high-risk group when it comes to homelessness. The same akt report said that 50% of those surveyed feared that expressing their sexual or gender identity to their families would result in them being evicted or thrown from the family home.
The intersectionalities of LGBTQ+ homelessness
Race, religion, disabilities, immigration status and socioeconomics also play a huge part in the risk factors tied to LGBTQ+ homelessness.
For example, people of colour may experience both racist and homophobic discrimination, which limits their access to housing and services even more than their white British counterparts.
Micro Rainbow, an organisation that provides safe houses for LGBTQ+ immigrants, carried out its research on poverty in this community group in the UK. They found that nearly half of their respondents were worried about the stability of their current housing, and 65% didn’t have enough money to cover the cost of their living expenses.
The impact of LGBTQ+ homelessness
The trauma that comes with experiencing homelessness can’t be understated - whether someone is part of the LGBTQ+ community or not. The findings from akt show the stark reality of the impact of homelessness on these communities.
- 92% said their experience of homelessness has negatively impacted their mental health (this rises to 95% for those who are also disabled).
- Nearly 60% said it had impacted their physical health (rising to 62% in the trans community).
- More than 20% said that they took drugs for the first time when experiencing homelessness.
- 16% engaged in sex work as a result of experiencing homelessness.
At Simon on the Streets, our outreach team engages with even the most marginalised communities - regardless of race, religion, ability or sexuality. Our mission has, and will always be, to give hope to those without a voice.
If you’re worried about any issues raised here, contact our team for support today.