Homelessness Disproportionately Affects the LGBTQ+ Community

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The Williams Institute at UCLA conducted a survey in 2021 and estimated that approximately 5.5% of the US population identifies as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Oregon has the highest LGBTQ+ population of any state, with roughly 7.8% of the population identifying as a member of the LGBTQ+ community according to the survey. Despite the high LGBTQ+ population, a report from a coalition of service providers for queer communities in the Portland metro area discovered that it lacks resources for LGBTQ+ people experiencing homelessness. 

Data collected by The Williams Institute at UCLA in 2020 showed that nearly 17% of LGBTQ+ adults had experienced homelessness at some point in their life. That figure is more than twice the rate amongst the general, non-LGBTQ+ population. The Williams Institute also found that more than 8% of trans people had experienced houselessness. That figure is significantly higher than the 2.5% of cisgender, queer people that have experienced homelessness and the 1.4% of cisgender, straight people that have experienced homelessness. 

Other cities with large homeless and LGBTQ+ populations have allocated millions of dollars to build LGBTQ+ specific shelters. For example, Los Angeles recently funded a shelter specifically for Latina transwomen. San Francisco has allocated $7 million for a coalition to end trans homelessness by 2027. These projects and efforts are not free of any shortcomings. Many emergency shelters, even those specifically for LGBTQ+ people, are gendered meaning that nonbinary people are left with even less options.  

The issue of homelessness is complex and even more so for members of the LGBTQ+ community. Raising awareness is a solid first step. 

SOURCES

https://www.oregonlive.com/living/2023/12/oregon-has-more-lgbtq-residents-per-capita-than-any-other-state-in-the-us-report.html

https://www.opb.org/article/2024/02/22/report-finds-queer-portlanders-in-need-of-more-housing-services/

https://www.oregonlive.com/portland/2024/01/portland-area-needs-more-lgbtq-homeless-shelters-report-finds.html#:~:text=The%202022%20federally%20mandated%20point,housing%2C%20one%20resident's%20success%20story.

https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/LGBT-Adult-US-Pop-Dec-2023.pdf

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