The pathways into and out of LGBTQ youth homelessness

One of the reasons LGBTQ youth homelessness happens is that many people, including parents and providers, don’t understand LGBTQ youth needs or how social safety nets fail LGBTQ youth. This workshop will provide attendees with (1) working knowledge of the realities facing LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness and (2) present new resources for advocates working at the intersection of LGBTQ youth and housing justice. Participants will be introduced to the Real Time Ally, an opportunity identification tool created by a master’s student at the Center for Social Design at MICA in collaboration with Baltimore area LGBTQ youth, homelessness advocates and service providers. Real Time Ally is a resource designed to educate and guide people unfamiliar with LGBTQ justice in becoming affirming allies through shared definitions, concrete next steps and direction for further learning. The creator of Real Time Ally has teamed up with program leaders, service providers and consumers at the Healthcare for the Homeless in Baltimore, Maryland and Outside In in Portland, Oregon for this presentation. Participants will learn how different systems collectively push young people out of stable housing and into the harsh realities that LGBTQ folks face at homelessness services: discrimination at shelters, widespread harassment, inability to meet basic needs, lack of access to medical care and education, criminal profiling, and loss of community. The workshop will offer attendees a chance to apply the tool, and a take-away to implement in future advocacy work. Case studies will present interventions at the policy, program and individual levels exploring topics related to medical care, mental health treatment and substance use treatment. We will explore the causes of housing instability for youth, barriers to accessing service and care, and highlight the issues specifically affecting LGBTQ youth. This workshop will have a strong intersectional and collaborative focus while examining the many pathways to homelessness for LGBTQ youth.