Homelessness among LGBTQ+ youth on the rise

A study from Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago was published earlier this year shedding light on the rising issue of homelessness among 13 to 25 year olds in the United States.

 

The findings, which are in part of the Voice’s of Youth Count, an initiative designed to bring awareness to the reality and scale of youth homelessness, include:

 

• 1 in 10 18 to 25 year olds endure some form of homelessness in a year. Half of the prevalence comes in the form of couch surfing only.
• 1 in 30 adolescent minors ages 13 to 17 endure some form of homelessness in a year. The form of couch surfing only is a quarter of the prevalence.
• Black or African-American 18 to 25 had an 83 percent higher risk of homelessness

 

Chaplin Hill in collaboration with True Colors Fund, an organization working to end homelessness among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth, found an even more shocking issue among the youth homelessness crisis. That statistic is that LGBTQ+ ages 13-25 had a 120 percent higher risk for homelessness than non-LGBTQ+ youth.

 

 “We unfortunately have instances of young people coming out to their families and being kicked out,” said Katie Mattise, Assistant Director for the Kent State LGBTQ+ Student Center. “LGBTQ+ people, especially trans people of color, experience a lot of discrimination when it comes to employment and if you can’t get a job, you can’t always afford housing. We’ve had folks at Kent State experience homelessness and even more be on the edge of experiencing it.”

 

 

 

 

Reported by the Williams Institute the most frequently cited reason for this rising statistic that has been evident even on Kent States campus is family rejection along with being forced out by parents after coming out.

 

The devastating reality for these youth and young adults doesn’t just end there. At school LGBTQ+ students often face both physical and verbal harassment, which can lead to many additional challenges.

 

According to a 2015 report by GLSEN:

• LGBTQ+ students who encountered high levels of discrimination at school were more than three times as likely to miss school than students who had not.
• 2 percent of LGBTQ+ students felt discriminated against at school because of their sexual orientation.

 

With 40 percent of the homeless youth and young adults identifying as LGBTQ+ very little has been done nationwide to counter act this rising statistic. Kent State University however has some support for LGBTQ+ students that are struggling financially.

 

 

 

The LGBTQ+ Student Center has an emergency fund that is supported solely through donations of faculty, staff, and community members. This fund is available for students who are in need of financial support for books, academic supplies, household items, housing, or food.

 

With a quick conversation with the Director to assess an LGBTQ+ student needs they can get up to $500 transferred into their bursar/registrar account.

 

In the past three years that Mattise has been apart of the LGBTQ+ Student Center the Emergency Fund has helped around 25 students each year. One of those students was Kent States PRIDE! President Nico Mostella, who’s preferred name, is Nico Rushh.

 

“The LGBTQ Center does a very good job at helping this community out by providing them with emergency money,” said Rushh.“It’s a short term fix but anything helps. I have used it every semester and one time specifically for homelessness It was extremely helpful and it basically helped pay for my down payment. And it was terrifying to be honest. I knew I had to get my life together pretty quickly because I just cut my entire family off but my roommate at the time was helpful but in the end it all worked out.”

 

Another financial support option the Harry E. Jackson LGBT Endowment Fund Scholarship. An Akron businessman Harry Jackson to serve the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered students on the Kent State University campus established this scholarship.

 

Other options for students include scholarships through the Division of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and four $1000 awards available every spring through the LGBTQ+ Student Center.

 

“We also just provide support and a listening ear,” said Mattise. “A lot of times people can ignore or not want to talk with folks who experience homelessness. If someone just needs to share, we’re here for that. We also have knowledge of other on and off campus resources that can help out. There’s a food pantry in the Women’s Center. There’s meals offered through Campus Kitchen. And there are some organizations in Akron and Cleveland that provide assistant or shelter to LGBTQ+ folks.”

 

Kent State University is striving to lend a helping hand to the LGBTQ+ community but until legislation offers its hand the number of LGBTQ+ youth and young adults will continue to rise.