A new report, Serving Our Youth 2015: The Needs and Experiences of Lesbians, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth Experiencing Homelessness, highlights the factors leading to LGBTQ youth and non-LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness, as well as the resources needed to assist this population. The main factors associated with LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness are family rejection, family poverty, and involvement in the child welfare system. LGBTQ youth are more likely to become chronically homeless than non-LGBTQ youth.

Homeless service providers have utilized a variety of housing services as well as other services to assist LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness, including drop-in centers, street outreach, transitional housing, emergency shelters, and permanent supportive housing. However, lack of funding and community support has prevented many service providers from serving LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness. 

Some of the key findings include:

• 26% of LGBTQ youth identified housing as their primary need, followed by acceptance and support from friends and families (18.8%), employment (17.7%), and health care (17.7%).
• The majority of the transgender youth reported experiencing harassment, bullying, and as well physical, emotional, sexual abuse.
• 25.7% of the human services agencies surveyed primarily served LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness, 21.2% of the agencies had a dedicated staff to assist LGBTQ youth.

Data from the report are based on the LGBTQ Homeless Youth Provider Survey of The Williams Institute, in collaboration with True Colors Fund and The Palette Fund.

Click here to read the report.