Homelessness as a result of sexual orientation or gender identity – whether fully, partially, directly or indirectly – is a fairly under researched phenomena. The reason for this is that this highly marginalised group is hidden and invisible from the public eye, and not often discussed by housing providers, the media or in academic works. Nevertheless, it is an important issue and a serious concern that organisations that work in housing and homelessness prevention, and the general public, ought to be aware of. Research has shown that as many as 30% of homeless youth in the UK are LGBTQ.

This report is the result of a year-long research project conducted by Carin Tunåker, together with Porchlight and the School of Anthropology and Conservation at the University of Kent. The research is part of a PhD in social anthropology and it is hoped that it will illuminate current issues and raise awareness of the difficulties faced by homeless LGBTQ youth. It also aims to facilitate knowledge transfer and share best practices between organisations that work in the homeless sector generally, and in LGBTQ youth work specifically.

The report will give a summary of the research and its aims, give a brief overview of the outcomes, and provide recommendations for future work with homeless LGBTQ youth