LGBTIQ

People who identify as LGBTIQ+ are more likely to experience homelessness, compared to those who do not. For example, a study in the US among school students concluded that those who were LGB had an odds of reporting homelessness between four and thirteen times that of their heterosexual peers. In studies from the UK, between 16-32% persons in youth homeless support identified as LGBT. (Source: McCarthy, L., & Parr, S. (2022))

At the EU level, the Fundamental Rights Agency asked over 100,000 LGBTIQ people in 2023 whether they had experienced housing difficulties at least once in their lives. Almost one in every five people surveyed (18.7%) had experienced homelessness, compared to 4% of the overall EU population. 12.9% had to stay with friends and relatives temporarily, 2.7% had to stay in inadequate accommodation - that is, a place not intended as a home, 2% in emergency or temporary accommodation, and 1.1% had to sleep ‘rough’ or in public spaces. (Source: FRA (2024))

However, homelessness does not equally affect all LGBTIQ+ people. When looking at specific groups, intersex, trans and non-binary or gender-diverse people reported a much higher prevalence of homelessness.  

Image source: FRA (2024)