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## Other Youth Topics

## Breadcrumb

            -  Youth Topics 
            -           Homelessness and Housing      

# Homelessness and Housing

Homelessness is a devastating experience that has a significant negative impact on an individual’s physical and mental health, well-being, functioning, human development, and life trajectory. LGBT youth who run away and experience homelessness are at high risk for certain negative experiences and outcomes.1 LGBTQ+ youth are significantly overrepresented in homeless populations compared with the general population.2 The Voices of Youth Count project from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago found that LGBTQ young adults are more than twice as likely to experience homelessness than their non-LGBTQ peers. Additionally, youth who are Black or multiracial and LGBTQ reported the highest rates of homelessness (16 percent), and white and LGBTQ youth report a rate of 8 percent.3

LGBTQ+ youth experience homelessness at higher rates than non-LGBTQ+ youth for a range of reasons. A study of more than 350 runaway and homeless providers throughout the United States identified four top causes for homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth: (1) family rejection resulting from sexual orientation or gender identity; (2) physical, emotional, or sexual abuse; (3) aging out of the foster care system; and (4) financial and emotional neglect.4 Another study that interviewed LGBTQ+ youth who experienced homelessness found that the path to homelessness was “described as a gradual escalation of the parent-child conflict over time, or a growing sense of rejection in the home...” This finding shows there may be more opportunity to intervene before an LGBTQ+ youth becomes homeless.5

### Experiences of LGBTQ+ Youth Who Experience Homelessness

In shelters, while searching for housing, and on the streets, LGBTQ+ youth may endure traumatic experiences, such as harassment, stigmatization, and abuse from peers and shelter staff as a result of their sexual orientation and/or gender expression.6 LGBTQ+ youth may find it difficult to find housing and may be asked to leave shelters after revealing their sexual or gender identity.

As a result of harassment and negative experiences in shelters, LGBT youth are more likely to live on the streets than their heterosexual peers and are especially vulnerable to physical and sexual exploitation.7 LGB youth who experience homelessness also experience high rates of conduct disorder, post-traumatic stress, and suicidal behavior.8

### Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth Who Experience Homelessness

To address these challenges, LGBTQ+ youth who experience homelessness need access to safe, supportive housing. Street outreach, homeless shelters, transitional living programs, and other housing programs and services for youth should be free of bias and harassment and provide access to culturally competent services that affirm their identity and welcome them.9 This requires strategies to improve the cultural competence of staff working in these programs and providing these services, including:
                      - analyzing how staff are screened before being hired>
                      - providing professional development to current staff, including enhanced training to identify and  respond to trauma  experienced by this population 10
                      - engaging LGBTQ+ youth as full partners in strengthening and improving systems and services
                      - locating LGBT-sensitive outreach, services, and housing options in or near predominantly black and multiracial communities equitably 11
                      - developing partnerships with the LGBTQ+ community to connect youth with adult LGBTQ+ role models 12

Runaway and homeless youth services should also follow positive youth development and trauma-informed approachesin providing care and supports. Such an approach requires that system and program policies, practices, structures, and values are grounded in knowledge and understanding of trauma. Care that is not trauma-informed risks inadvertent retraumatization of vulnerable youth.13 A trauma-informed approach focuses on physical, psychological, and emotional safety. Many youth who are homeless have experienced chaotic and violent environments. Youth can more easily heal when they feel safe.14 It is also important for runaway and homeless youth services to:
                      - promote  positive youth development
                      - provide safe spaces for LGBTQ+ youth
                      - offer services and supports to reconnect youth with their families when it is safe to do so
                      - connect youth to community resources and services that are affirming and safe for LGBTQ+ youth
                      - expand public awareness about LGBT youth issues and decrease stigma associated with LGBT identity 15

## Resources

**Framework to End Youth Homelessness: A Resource Text for Dialogue and Action****(PDF, 15 pages)**This framework provides clarity on how to address youth homelessness to help reach the federal goal of ending homelessness among children and youth.

**getREAL (Recognize. Engage. Affirm. Love)**This initiative promotes the healthy development of all children and youth, with a focus on sexual orientation, gender identity, and expression. getREAL challenges public systems working with children and youth to improve their policies and practices to support the healthy sexual and identity development of all children and youth in child welfare systems.

**A Guide for Understanding, Supporting, and Affirming LGBTQI2-S Children, Youth, and Families****(PDF, 8 pages)**This guide provides information for service providers, educators, allies, and community members who seek to support the health and well-being of children and youth who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, intersex, or two-spirit (LGBTQI2-S) and their families. This guide can support efforts to promote full and affirming inclusion of LGBTQI2-S youth and families in communities and provider settings (e.g., child welfare, juvenile justice, mental health, schools). The guide includes a section for organizations to add their endorsement electronically. Both the National Association of School Psychologists (NASP) and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) have endorsed the guide.

**Homelessness Resource Center: Homeless Populations**This Center, which includes LGBTQ+-related resources, is an interactive community of providers, consumers, policymakers, researchers, and public agencies at federal, state, and local levels. It shares state-of-the-art knowledge and promising practices to prevent and end homelessness through training and technical assistance, publications and materials, online learning opportunities, and networking and collaboration.

**Housing Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals and Families**This website maintains a list of states that enumerate sexual orientation and gender identity in their state fair housing laws. It also provides information and resources to report housing discrimination.

**SAMHSA's Concept of Trauma and Guidance for a Trauma-Informed Approach**This paper responds to/recognizes the impact of trauma on behavioral health and beyond, and introduces the concept of trauma and offers a framework for how to become trauma-informed. The Four E’s of trauma and Four R’s of a trauma-informed approach to care offer a strong source of guidance for youth service providers looking to support LGBTQ+ homeless and runaway youth and other trauma-exposed populations.

**Identifying and Serving LGBTQ Youth: Case Studies of Runaway and Homeless Youth Program Grantees**This report summarizes findings from four case studies of four ACF runaway and homeless youth (RHY) program grantees that serve LGBTQ youth. The report’s findings address four topics: (1) agencies’ collection and use of data on clients’ sexual orientation and gender identity, (2) providers’ assessment and perceptions of needs and capacities among LGBTQ RHY, (3) providers’ approaches to serving LGBTQ RHY, and (4) providers’ perceptions of research gaps and data needs related to services for LGBTQ RHY.

**Learning from the Field: Expert Panel on Youth Who Are LGBTQI2-S and Homeless (Summary of Proceedings)****(PDF, 45 pages)**This document highlights key issues, strategies, best practices, and next steps for collaboration between the Homelessness Resource Center and other stakeholders to address homelessness among LGBTQI2-S youth.

**U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) LGBTQ Resources**This webpage provides resources to help ensure fair and equal access to housing regardless of sexual orientation. This webpage explains the HUD Equal Access Rules, understanding an individual’s rights under the Fair Housing Act, how to file a discrimination complaint (including downloadable app tools), and other materials.

**Missed Opportunities: LGBTQ Youth Homelessness in America**The Voices of Youth Count project conducted research with LGBTQ youth who experience homelessness and developed a special report and one pager (PDF, 1 page) that includes study findings and recommendations.

**True Colors Fund**This project was developed to inspire and engage everyone, especially straight people, to become active participants in the advancement of equality for all and to raise awareness about and bring an end to LGBTQ youth homelessness. The True Colors Forty to None Project carries out programs and initiatives on education, advocacy, empowerment, capacity building, and inclusion. The project’s webpage includes a search engine to identify local runaway and homeless youth providers that are welcoming and inclusive. The website also has best practice and other resources for communities and providers.

**United States Interagency Council on Homelessness**This website includes federal data and resources on homelessness in the United States including a section focused on LGBT youth.

## References

1 Poirier, Murphy, Shelton, & Costello, 20132 Ray, 20063 Morton et al., 2018; The rates of homelessness for white and black non-LGBT youth were half of the rates for LGBT youth (4 percent and 7 percent).4 Durso & Gates, 20125 Morton et al., 20186 Homelessness Resources Center, n.d., 2010; Kenney, Fisher, Grandin, Hanson, & Winn, 2012; Ray 20067 Lambda Legal, National Alliance to End Homelessness, National Network for Youth, & National Center for Lesbian Rights, 20098 Ray, 20069 Poirier, Murphy, Shelton, & Costello, 2013; Poirier, Fisher, Hunt, & Bearse, 201410 Morton et al., 201811 Morton et al., 201812 Kenney, Fisher, Grandin, Hanson, & Winn, 201213 Guarino, Soares, Konnath, Clervil, & Bassuk, 200914 Guarino et al., 200915 Poirier, Murphy, Shelton, & Costello, 2013; Homeless Resource Center, 2010

## Other Resources on this Topic

### Announcements 

                          - Brief: Discriminatory Transgender Health Bills Have Critical Consequences for Youth
                          - Fact Sheet: System Involvement Among LBQ Girls and Women
                          - LGBTQ Inclusivity in Schools
                          - Online Training: Healthy Sexuality for Youth in Foster Care: An Online Training for Parents and Caregivers of Youth in Foster Care
                          - Pride Month Census Data
                          - Report: Experiences of LGBTQ People in Four-Year Colleges and Graduate Programs
                          - Report: Homelessness and Housing Instability Among LGBTQ Youth
                          - Report: Moving Beyond Change Efforts: Evidence and Action to Support and Affirm LGBTQI+ Youth
                          - Report: Multiracial LGBTQ+ Youth Face Heightened Suicide Risk
                          - Report: The GSA Study: Results of National Surveys About Students’ and Advisors’ Experiences in Gender and Sexuality Alliance Clubs
                          - Report: Violent Victimization by Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity, 2017–2020
                          - Research: Examining the Relationship Between LGBTQ-Supportive School Health Policies and Practices and Psychosocial Health Outcomes of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Heterosexual Students
                          - Resource: 2023 International Transgender Day of Visibility
                          - Resource: 2SLGBTQ Community Readiness Survey
                          - Resource: Adoption Triad - Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth Who Are Adopted
                          - Resource: AFFIRM Caregiver: Affirmative Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Caregivers of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning (LGBTQ+) Populations
                          - Resource: Affirming and Supporting LGBTQ Children and Youth in Child Welfare
                          - Resource: Core Youth Outcomes in Youth of Color
                          - Resource: FAQ Update on 988 Services for LGBTQI+ Youth
                          - Resource: Federal Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity
                          - Resource: Federal Funding to Support LGBTQIA2S+ Children, Youth, Young Adults, and Families
                          - Resource: Gender-Affirming Care and Young People
                          - Resource: Inclusive Practices Help All Students Thrive
                          - Resource: LGBTQ Inclusivity Tool
                          - Resource: LGBTQ+ Glossary of Terms
                          - Resource: LGBTQ+ Youth Engagement Virtually and In-Person
                          - Resource: LGBTQIA2S+ Youth Experiencing Homelessness
                          - Resource: Measuring the Impact of Professional Development
                          - Resource: Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention for LGBTQIA2S+ Youth
                          - Resource: Most Kids with Parent in Same-Sex Relationship Live with Female Couple
                          - Resource: National Clearinghouse on Homeless Youth and Families (NCHYF)
                          - Resource: NCFY
                          - Resource: Podcast Series: Collecting Data on Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Expression
                          - Resource: Preventing Suicide Requires a Comprehensive Approach
                          - Resource: Protecting the Rights and Providing Appropriate Services to LGBTQIA2S+ Youth in Out-of-Home Care
                          - Resource: Providing Culturally Competent Mental Health Care to LGBTQIA+ Youth & Young Adults
                          - Resource: Sexual Health Resource Toolkit for Parents and Caregivers of Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
                          - Resource: Supporting LGBTQI+ Students Experiencing Homelessness
                          - Resource: Supporting the Health and Well-Being of Transgender and Gender Diverse Youth
                          - Resource: The National Center for Youth with Diverse Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity & Expression (The National SOGIE Center) 
                          - Resource: Toolkit for Implementing Authentic Youth Engagement Strategies Within State Advisory Groups
                          - Resource: Toolkit: Creating Inclusive and Nondiscriminatory School Environments for LGBTQI+ Students
                          - Resource: Voices Amplified
                          - Resource: What Does it Mean to be Two-Spirit?
                          - Resource: Working Virtually With Families of LGBTQ+ Youth.
                          - Resource: Youth Acceptance Project
                          - Resource: Youth Advisory Councils
                          - Resource: Youth AFFIRM: Affirmative Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender & Questioning (LGBTQ+) Populations
                          - Share with Youth: Complete GLSEN 2019 National School Climate Survey
                          - Share with Youth: LGBT Resources — Learn More, Get Involved, and Be Proud of Who You Are!
                          - Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth: A Guide for Foster Parents
                          - Toolkit: Celebrating our Magic: Resources for American Indian/Alaska Native Transgender and TwoSpirit Youth, Their Relatives and Families, and their Healthcare Providers
                          - Webinar Recording: The Impact of Bias, Inequities, and Injustices in Supporting Students Impacted by Human Trafficking
                          - Webinar Series: Supporting Gender Diverse Indigenous Youth
                          - Working With LGBTQ+ Families in Foster Care and Adoption
                          - Youth Voices Have Moved to YE4C

### Briefs 

                          - Recommended Actions to Improve the Health and Well-Being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Communities

### Collaboration Profiles 

                          - Providing Unbiased Services for LGBTQ Youth Project
                          - Y2CONNECT.org

### Data Sources 

                          - 2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report

### Feature Articles 

                          - June is LGBT Pride Month
                          - Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C
                          - New Brief Highlights the Needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth in Child Welfare Settings
                          - New Reports Highlight Human Service Needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender Populations
                          - New Reports Highlight the Human Service Needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, & Transgender (LGBT) Populations

### Publications 

                          - A Practitioner’s Resource Guide: Helping Families to Support Their LGBT Children
                          - A Provider’s Introduction to Substance Abuse Treatment for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals
                          - How Are the Lives of LGBTQ Youth Improved by Gay-Straight Alliances?
                          - Identifying and Serving LGBTQ Youth: Case Studies of Runaway and Homeless Youth Program Grantees
                          - Key Policy Letters from the Education Secretary and Deputy Secretary
                          - Learning from the Field: Listening Tour of Programs Serving Youth who are LGBTQI2-S and Experiencing Homelessness
                          - Meeting the Needs of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Youth
                          - Online Sexual Health Resources
                          - Parents’ Influence on the Health of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Teens: What Parents and Families Should Know
                          - Pride in Our Progress
                          - Primary Sources: Learning How Service Providers and Policy Makers Can Help LGBTQ Homeless Youth
                          - Q&A: Meeting the Needs of Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Youth
                          - Report: Health-Related Behaviors among Students
                          - Sexual Risk Behavior Differences Among Sexual Minority High School Students — United States, 2015 and 2017
                          - The Economic Well-Being of LGB Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care

### Resources 

                          - 5 Online Resources to Help Domestic Violence Programs Offer Inclusive Services to LGBTQ People
                          - Brief: the Needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning (LGBTQ) Youth in Child Welfare Settings
                          - Ending Housing Discrimination against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Individuals and Families
                          - LGBT Populations: A Snapshot of the Knowledge Base and Research Needs
                          - LGBT Youth Resources
                          - Report: Recommendations of the LGBT Subcommittee: Advancing the Reform Process for LGBQ/GNCT Youth in the Juvenile Justice System
                          - Report: Surviving the Streets of New York: Experiences of LGBTQ Youth, YMSM, and YWSW Engaged in Survival Sex
                          - Research: Does Sexual Orientation Affect Teen Pregnancy Risk?
                          - Resource: Guidance to Help Schools Ensure the Civil Rights of Transgender Students
                          - Resource: Helping Youth Prevent Suicide Among Their LGBTQ Peers
                          - Resource: LGBTQ Youth: Voices of Trauma, Lives of Promise
                          - Resources for Serving Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Youth
                          - Safe Spaces. Safe Places: Creating Welcoming and Inclusive Environments for Traumatized LGBTQ Youth
                          - Share with Youth: This Free Life
                          - The Equal Access to Housing Rule and Youth

### Technical Assistance 

                          - Runaway and Homeless Youth Training and Technical Assistance Centers

### Tools & Guides 

                          - 3 Bold Steps for School Community Change
                          - Top Health Issues for LGBT Population Information and Resource Kit

### Videos & Podcasts 

                          - NCFY Voices: Does It Get Better for LGBTQ Teens?
                          - Podcast: Teen Pregnancy Prevention for LGBTQ Youth
                          - Voices from the Field: LGBT-Friendly Teen Pregnancy Prevention

### Websites 

                          - Healthy People 2020

### Youth Topics 

                          - Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
                          - Suicide Prevention

## Youth Briefs

How Individualized Education Program (IEP) Transition Planning Makes a Difference for Youth with Disabilities
Youth who receive special education services under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA 2004) and especially young adults of transition age, should be involved in planning for life after high school as early as possible and no later than age 16. Transition services should stem from the individual youth’s needs and strengths, ensuring that planning takes into account his or her interests, preferences, and desires for the future.

Youth Transitioning to Adulthood: How Holding Early Leadership Positions Can Make a Difference
Research links early leadership with increased self-efficacy and suggests that leadership can help youth to develop decision making and interpersonal skills that support successes in the workforce and adulthood. In addition, young leaders tend to be more involved in their communities, and have lower dropout rates than their peers. Youth leaders also show considerable benefits for their communities, providing valuable insight into the needs and interests of young people

How Trained Service Professionals and Self-Advocacy Makes a Difference for Youth with Mental Health, Substance Abuse, or Co-occurring Issues
Statistics reflecting the number of youth suffering from mental health, substance abuse, and co-occurring disorders highlight the necessity for schools, families, support staff, and communities to work together to develop targeted, coordinated, and comprehensive transition plans for young people with a history of mental health needs and/or substance abuse.

Young Adults Formerly in Foster Care: Challenges and Solutions
Nearly 30,000 youth aged out of foster care in Fiscal Year 2009, which represents nine percent of the young people involved in the foster care system that year. This transition can be challenging for youth, especially youth who have grown up in the child welfare system.

Coordinating Systems to Support Transition Age Youth with Mental Health Needs
Research has demonstrated that as many as one in five children/youth have a diagnosable mental health disorder. Read about how coordination between public service agencies can improve treatment for these youth.

Civic Engagement Strategies for Transition Age Youth
Civic engagement has the potential to empower young adults, increase their self-determination, and give them the skills and self-confidence they need to enter the workforce. Read about one youth’s experience in AmeriCorps National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC).

## Main navigation

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## Latest Resources

### Announcements

Opportunity: Validate LGBTQ+ Supportive Practices

Resource: Voices Amplified

Resource: Federal Evidence Agenda on LGBTQI+ Equity

### Briefs

Recommended Actions to Improve the Health and Well-Being of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Communities

### Collaboration Profiles

Y2CONNECT.org

Providing Unbiased Services for LGBTQ Youth Project

### Data Sources

2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report

2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report

2011-2021 YRBS Data Summary and Trends Report

### Feature Articles

Just Launched! Redesigned YE4C

New Brief Highlights the Needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning Youth in Child Welfare Settings

June is LGBT Pride Month

### Publications

Sexual Risk Behavior Differences Among Sexual Minority High School Students — United States, 2015 and 2017

Report: Health-Related Behaviors among Students

The Economic Well-Being of LGB Youth Transitioning Out of Foster Care

### Resources

Report: Recommendations of the LGBT Subcommittee: Advancing the Reform Process for LGBQ/GNCT Youth in the Juvenile Justice System

Resource: Helping Youth Prevent Suicide Among Their LGBTQ Peers

Resource: LGBTQ Youth: Voices of Trauma, Lives of Promise

### Youth Topics

Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Suicide Prevention