Each year, thousands of LGBTQ+ individuals find themselves without a safe place to call home. People in the LGBTQ+ community, particularly young people, are disproportionately overrepresented in the homeless population. Although they make up only 10 percent of the general youth population, LGBTQ+ youth account for 40 percent of youth experiencing homelessness in the US. This disparity is largely driven by familial rejection, discrimination, and systemic inequality. In DC, the LGBTQ+ community encounters many of the same challenges. According to the most recent data from the 2025 Point-in-Time (PIT) Count, 12 percent of adults and 38 percent of unaccompanied youth experiencing homelessness in DC identified as LGBTQ+. This Pride Month, Housing Up is examining the unique barriers LGBTQ+ individuals face in accessing stable housing and exploring actions service providers can take to better support the LGBTQ+ community.

Discrimination and Inequality 

Despite a societal shift towards more acceptance and support for the LGBTQ+ community in recent decades, the reality of familial rejection remains and is still cited as the primary reason LGBTQ+ youth become homeless. A 2018 study conducted by Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago found that LGBTQ+ youth have a 120 percent higher risk of experiencing homelessness compared to youth who are cisgender and heterosexual. The risk is even more pronounced for Black and Indigenous People of Color (BIPOC) in the LGBTQ+ community, where BIPOC youth are 83 percent more likely to become homeless than their white counterparts. 

Once unhoused, LGBTQ+ individuals face numerous obstacles in accessing shelter and support services, such as harassment and violence, untrained staff, and facilities that house transgender people according to their sex assigned at birth rather than their gender identity. The homelessness response system is largely designed to serve adults and youth often struggle to find support services. The lack of available resources for youth is especially concerning, given that LGBTQ+ youth are much more likely to experience sexual assault, violence, and attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. Without access to safe and inclusive services, many LGBTQ+ people may avoid shelters, making exiting homelessness even more difficult. 

Inclusive Policies and Allyship 

While inequality and discrimination have been long-standing issues for LGBTQ+ individuals experiencing homelessness, recent directives from the Trump administration threaten to erode their protections further. In 2016, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) issued the Equal Access Rule, titled “Equal Access in Accordance With an Individual’s Gender Identity in Community Planning and Development Programs”. This final ruling mandated providers who received funding from HUD to serve individuals in accordance with their gender identity. 

However, the new HUD Secretary, Scott Turner, who was appointed by President Trump in 2025, has issued an order to halt the enforcement of the Equal Access Rule. Secretary Turner cited that his reason for issuing this directive is that the rule is associated with the “far-left gender ideology”. This order also comes at a time when HUD has removed a substantial amount of information and data from their website related to or even mentioning Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI). Although the Equal Access Rule has yet to be officially repealed or changed, the halting of its enforcement poses a significant threat to LGBTQ+ rights and protections. 

In these challenging times, it can be difficult to know what steps you can take to best support your community. Housing Up believes that all people, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or immigration status, have the right to safe and affordable housing. Service providers, such as affordable housing organizations, shelters, and food banks, can create meaningful change in the homelessness response system by promoting inclusive values, policies, and education for staff. Creating written anti-discrimination policies and safe and affirming spaces is essential to addressing LGBTQ+ homelessness on the ground. However, to effect systemic and widespread reform, the federal government must enact and protect legislation that ensures equal rights for all.