In our 2021 report, LGBTQ+ young people who faced homelessness told us what they would like to see from services.

Aside from housing and homelessness, LGBTQ+ young people would like to see services that support the following

---

Half of LGBTQ+ young people want to see services use more inclusive language which recognises their identity. This is important for 68 per cent of trans people, 60 per cent of disabled people and 57 per cent of people of colour.

Almost half (45 per cent) of LGBTQ+ young people want to see services use more people who look like them in communications materials. This is important to 57 per cent of trans people, 55 per cent of people of colour and 47 per cent of disabled people.

---

Improving housing and homelessness services

We carried out research in 2022 to see how local authorities and housing associations are considering LGBTQ+ people, of all ages, in their service design and delivery.  

We learnt that:

Most housing associations and local authorities we surveyed feel that their understanding of the proportion of people who use their service who identify as lesbian, gay and bisexual is more accurate (55 per cent) than trans and non-binary people (45 per cent).

More than eight out of ten (85 per cent) organisations surveyed say that their data capture could be improved to be more inclusive of a range of gender identities.

'On inclusive services 99/100 [times] that would happen by virtue of staff awareness and sensitivity rather than a specific process for all trans people.'

– local authority

More than two fifths (44 per cent) of  those surveyed have not received training on LGBTQ+ inclusion or LGBTQ+ homelessness.

Nearly one fifth (19 per cent) of organisations do not reference LGBTQ+ homelessness or LGBTQ+ youth homelessness in any of their policies, procedures and strategies and 18% were not aware.

Only 33 per cent of local authorities include LGBTQ+ homelessness or LGBTQ+ youth homelessness in their rough sleeping or homelessness reduction act strategies. Four out of ten (40 per cent) local authorities do not reference either in these strategies.

More than a third (37 per cent) do not reference LGBTQ+ homelessness or LGBTQ+ youth homelessness in their policies, procedures and strategies or were not aware.

'Until people feel safe to disclose, you can ask the questions in whatever way you like but it won’t necessarily make a difference. You need those service users to think that they will be included and respected no matter what’

- housing association