LGBTQ+ Homelessness; why action is needed now more than ever

By Zoe Schulz, myGwork

We are currently inundated with messages around “staying safe and staying home”, however, what do you do if a safe home isn’t an option? For thousands of LGBTQ+ people, that’s the current reality. With almost a quarter of homeless youth being LGBTQ+, the way that this issue disproportionately affects our community is relentless, but to find out why we need to look closer at the wider issue of homelessness itself.

David found himself homeless as a teenager, he’s one of thousands of LGBTQ+ young people who’s been forced onto the streets, simply because of who they are. He explains his story “I got kicked out by my parents because my dad wanted a straight son. But in me he had a gay kid studying fashion, so it was the polar opposite. We had an argument and he decided to just kick me out of our home.” As a parent, your sole job is to love and protect your child, and forcing them onto the streets, with no way to survive, is quite clearly the absolute opposite of this. Yet, it is estimated that in the UK there are 150,000 young LGBTQ+ people who are homeless or at risk of becoming so, and 77% of them believe coming out to their parents to be the main factor.

The detrimental impact of homelessness on a young person’s health, wellbeing, safety and life chances are astronomical, and for young LGBTQ+ people, it is thought that this is amplified even further. Once homeless, LGBTQ+ young people are also more likely to face violence and discrimination, as well as being disproportionately affected by substance abuse and sexual exploitation. akt, a charity that supports young LGBTQ+ people facing homelessness, believe strongly that risk of homelessness is the greatest threat to LGBTQ+ human rights in the UK today and looking at the statistics, it would be hard to argue with them. Their tireless work is one that cannot come to a halt during this pandemic, although they have stopped face-to-face contact, they are continuing their life-saving work, because young LGBTQ+ people need it more than ever. With homelessness in the UK having increased 250 per cent since 2010, theirs is a service the LGBTQ+ community cannot afford to go without.

Los Angeles, 2014

As the coronavirus death toll continues to climb, it is becoming more and more apparent that those most marginalised, are going to be hit the hardest. As US Representative, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, recently said, when facing COVID-19, “inequality is a pre-existing condition.” For homeless people, this is an actuality, as years on the streets, results in a weakened immune system and little ability to self-isolate means experts are warning that they are among the most vulnerable in contracting the virus. In London alone there are currently 160,000 empty hotel rooms, and although there have been promises of housing rough sleepers through the crisis, we are over a month into the lockdown and this still hasn’t happened.

Las Vegas, Nevada. Where homeless people are being “quarantined” in a parking lot, despite casinos and thousands of hotel rooms being empty. March 2020

It’s vital to understand that homelessness is not an inevitable part of our society. It is a symptom of inequality and oppression, but not in any way a necessity. In fact, Helsinki is a shining example of this, as their deputy mayor, Sanna Vesikansa, explains "In my childhood I remember there were hundreds, or even thousands of people sleeping in the parks and forests, but we don't have it anymore. Street homelessness doesn't exist in Helsinki."

In 1987 Helsinki had a staggering 18,000 people living on the streets, considering in winter it reaches -7°C, living in these conditions is not something you would wish upon your worst enemy. However, today it’s estimated that they have a handful, if any, rough sleepers. The way they have achieved this is incredibly simple – give people homes when they need them, unconditionally. Their homeless policies, since 2007, have followed what is known as the Housing First principle, which means that once a person is homeless, they are put straight into stable and permanent housing. This is a program that has been called revolutionary and miraculous, but it follows such glaringly obvious logic that you think other countries would have caught on. Despite the strong evidence that this works, the UK government are yet to adopt this practice.

You may think that the UK approach could be due to financial barriers, however it surprisingly costs a country significantly less to provide homes for homeless people, than it does to provide services that they will inevitably need. This translates to the fact that it is cheaper for a government to house homeless people, than it is for them to leave them on the streets. Research from Crisis conducted in Liverpool suggests that it is up to 5 times cheaper to give these individuals their own front door, than it is to leave them as-is. This has been confirmed in study, after study and is perhaps one of the cruellest ironies of our current world. However, this takes a long-term proactive approach, which is sadly not something that comes naturally to all governments.

Protest in Leeds, 2013

We also have to look further than just the financial factors in why we should create a solution for homelessness. Homelessness is a human issue and therefore needs a human response. The reason the programs in Finland have worked so well is more than just the economic benefits, it’s the fact that they’ve acted with empathy and treated their homeless population with dignity and respect. Their deputy mayor, Vesikansa has said the program has paid itself back, as they know they are now saving money elsewhere. This is apparent in hospital and emergency room costs that they would have incurred had these individuals stayed on the streets, but she attests that this is not the only motivation behind their actions, "Homelessness and rough sleeping is something we just can't have in our cities, people dying on the streets. It's not the type of society or city we want to live in."

This is the same attitude we see in the determined work of the team at Stonewall Housing, a UK charity that has been working to end LGBTQ+ homelessness since 1983, making them one of the oldest LGBTQ+ charities in the country. Their CEO, Steven McIntyre, explains the need for their work “LGBT+ people are at increased risk of homelessness simply because of who they are. This is unacceptable and has to change.” The charity supports over 1,000 LGBTQ+ people a year, which includes a trans-only scheme, for those made homeless as a direct result of their gender identity.

With research showing that a quarter of trans people have experienced homelessness, this tailored approach is vital. This goes further than just discrimination in the home, but when looking for housing itself. A quarter of trans people have faced discrimination when searching for a home to rent or buy, the fact that this statistic is so similar to the number that have faced homelessness is no coincidence. Although the Equality Act of 2010 is in place to prevent this, the government needs to stand strongly with the trans community if they are to lead by example and it is our role to ensure they are held accountable in protecting trans lives.

Although our trips outside of the home have become sparser, it is still very unlikely that you can make it to your essential shop and back without encountering people sleeping rough. We walk past them curled up in front of supermarkets or begging by train stations, yet how often do we take the time to learn and listen to what we can do to change this? In the midst of a crisis, protecting vulnerable people means acting fast and with empathy. If you are privileged enough to be able to do so, it’s the time to do what you can to help end homelessness.