Young LGBTQ+ people are made homeless because of who they are – but official stats don't show it

LGBTQ+ people are twice as likely to experience hidden homelessness – yet you wouldn’t know it from official statistics.

That’s because most local authorities, national housing strategies and even some homelessness charities don’t collect data on sexuality or gender identity. When young LGBTQ+ people are made homeless, too often they disappear into the cracks of sofa-surfing, hidden exploitation and temporary housing that isn’t safe – or simply doesn’t ask the right questions.

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At akt, we support LGBTQ+ young people aged 16–25 who are homeless or at risk. Over half of those we work with have been forced out by their own families; not because of drugs, crime or school exclusion, but because of who they are. Yet this crucial driver of youth homelessness goes largely unrecorded.

Our new research, commissioned by akt and conducted by the University of Kent, found that 64% of LGBTQ+ young people had experienced parental rejection, abuse or violence. 59% had to hide their identity to stay housed. 50% faced discrimination when trying to access support. These are not niche issues – they are clear patterns that demand a response.

But how can we expect services to respond when the data doesn’t even acknowledge that these young people exist?

When official statistics fail to record whether someone is LGBTQ+, the specific nature of their homelessness, and the support they need, is erased. That lack of visibility translates into underfunding, inadequate service provision, and a dangerous assumption that all youth homelessness is the same. It isn’t.

A young person being kicked out for coming out as trans cannot simply “go home” – yet this is often the default response from housing officers. LGBTQ+ young people facing domestic abuse or coercive control in relationships are routinely overlooked because their experiences do not fit mainstream assumptions about what abuse looks like. Trans youth are left with no choice but to sleep rough or hide their identity in emergency accommodation that is not trained or safe for them.

Many people, including those working in frontline services, are still unaware of the specific challenges LGBTQ+ young people face when it comes to homelessness. We are often asked, “Why do you only support LGBTQ+ youth?” It’s an important question – and one we welcome. We know that most services want to do better, but have historically lacked the funding, training, or resources to offer fully inclusive support.

At akt, we have the tools, insight, and best practice to help change that. The routes into homelessness for LGBTQ+ young people are often shaped by rejection, discrimination, or fear – and the barriers they face when trying to move on are just as distinct. But without proper recognition of these challenges in policy and data, change remains slow. Government statistics remain incomplete, and fewer than 10% of local authority housing strategies in England even reference LGBTQ+ youth. Until these differences are fully understood and reflected in national frameworks, LGBTQ+ young people will continue to be overlooked in practice – no matter how well-intentioned a service might be.

When you do not count a group, you do not plan for them. And when you do not plan for them, they fall through the cracks.

This is particularly true for hidden homelessness. LGBTQ+ young people are far more likely to be sofa-surfing, staying with strangers, or moving between unsafe temporary housing where they feel they cannot be open about who they are. They may not be visible on the streets, but they are still homeless.

At akt, we support young people like Amelia, who was forced to leave home after being outed by a family member, and experienced abuse and homelessness before finding a safe place to stay through our services. Or Charlie, who faced homophobic abuse at home and was left sofa-surfing across the country, trying to survive while navigating complex systems that weren’t designed with LGBTQ+ young people in mind. Their stories are deeply moving – but they are not exceptional. They are representative of a wider crisis that remains largely unacknowledged in national policy and provision.

We cannot fix what we do not fully understand. But we can improve how we collect and use data, listen to lived experience, and design services that reflect the realities of LGBTQ+ young people’s lives. At akt, we know there is a shared desire to do better – and we are here to help. If you work in housing, youth services, or policy and want to be part of creating lasting change, please get in touch with our CEO, Adam. Together, we can ensure no young person should ever have to choose between a safe home and being who they are.

Melissa Gilpin works for akt, the LGBTQ+ youth homelessness charity.

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