National Homeless Youth Awareness Month

NATIONAL HOMELESS YOUTH AWARENESS MONTH

This month is National Homeless Youth Awareness Month and so it’s important to highlight the overlap of homelessness among LGBTQ youth. The Trevor Project’s 2022 report “Homelessness and Housing Instability Among LGBTQ Youth” found that:

  • Overall, 28% of LGBTQ youth reported experiencing homelessness or housing instability at some point in their lives.
  • Nearly half (44%) of Native/Indigenous LGBTQ youth have experienced homeless or housing instability at some point in their life, compared to 16% of Asian American/Pacific Islander youth, 27% of White LGBTQ youth, 27% of Latinx LGBTQ youth, 26% of Black LGBTQ youth, and 36% of multiracial LGBTQ youth.
  • 16% of LGBTQ youth reported that they had slept away from parents or caregivers because they ran away from home, with more than half (55%) reporting that they ran away from home because of mistreatment or fear of mistreatment due to their LGBTQ identity.
  • LGBTQ youth who experienced homelessness or housing instability reported higher rates of mental health challenges, compared to their stably housed LGBTQ peers.
  • LGBTQ youth who reported experiencing homelessness or housing instability had higher rates of victimization, being in foster care, and food insecurity, compared to their stably housed LGBTQ peers.

Knowing these rates and statistics, how can we support homeless or unstably housed LGBTQ youth? Let’s start with the resources available:

Housing:

Homeless services are often federally funded and focused on adult individuals, so it’s important to highlight those services that are focused on youth.

  • The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has a list of resources for homeless youth here, focusing on rapid re-housing and transitional housing models. But homelessness is about more than just housing for LGBTQ youth, as these programs must feel safe for them to express themselves and feel accepted for their LGBTQ identity.
  • A number of states and local communities have homeless services resources that are specifically for LGBTQ youth.
    • Zebra Youth is an organization that provides services to LGBTQ+ youth ages 13-24 in Florida. Their Bridge Housing Program provides short-term housing to LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness. Anyone interested in housing services must first become a Zebra Youth Member.
    • The Home for Little Wanderers is an organization that serves youth from birth to age 26, and their program Waltham House is the first residential group home in New England designed specifically for LGBTQ+ youth. This residential program provides a safe and supportive living environment with 24-hour staff for LGBT youth ages 14-18. You can reach out to The Home for Little Wanderers here.
    • You can find more state-specific resources at websites such as Homeless Youth Handbook (HYH) and Lambda Legal

Food and Nutrition:

Sometimes all of your family’s income has to go towards paying rent or other bills, leaving little left for food. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), often formerly referred to as Food Stamps, is a federally funded program that provides food benefits to low-income families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being. You can find your local SNAP office at this link. Each state has its own local SNAP office and application form. There are outreach programs such as Project Bread in Boston, Massachusetts, which provides resources about SNAP in different languages to reach more individuals.

Your local food bank can help you find food today, even if you only need temporary help. Feeding America is a nationwide nonprofit network of food banks, food pantries, and meal programs that provide resources so people facing hunger can put food on the table. Some food banks are working to be LGBTQ+ affirming and inclusive, acknowledging that it’s not always easy to ask for help and it’s even harder when you face potential discrimination. For example, this Chicago food pantry Care for Real makes sure that the LGBTQ community feels welcome at the pantry. You can find other food banks in Chicago through the Greater Chicago Food Depository.

Housing-related Bills:

When you’re struggling to pay your rent, it can be difficult to decide which bills to pay. There are numerous programs throughout the U.S. that provide assistance with paying housing-relating bills. These programs are often federally funded but locally administered by states, counties, or cities. Here are a few examples of programs that provide assistance paying housing-related bills:

Employment:

Homelessness and housing instability are often caused by or influenced by difficulty paying numerous housing-related bills, as seen above. As such, it’s important to think about ways to survive in this situation and maintain your own household. One resource that can help young adults get back on their feet by providing for themselves is Job Corps. It is a free, residential career training and education program for low-income young adults ages 16 through 24, and it is free to homeless youth.

There’s much more to be discussed and resources to be shared this month, but this is a start. Raise awareness for LGBTQ+ homeless youth and share these resources with your friends and family