San Diego plans to launch a shelter for LGBTQ youth experiencing homelessness with 45 beds

San Diego’s Housing Commission has announced that the city will be opening an LGBTQ+ youth shelter to provide assistance for young people experiencing homelessness. The commission has awarded a contract to the San Diego LGBT Center to operate the shelter, which will be the first of its kind in the city.

According to Casey Snell, VP of Admin. Homeless Initiatives San Diego Housing Commission, the LGBTQ+ community experiences homelessness at almost 40% higher rates than non-LGBTQ+ individuals, making it critical to provide targeted services for this population. The city has allocated $1.5 million for the new shelter in its 2023 budget, and a search is underway to find a permanent location for the 45-bed facility.

In the meantime, two interim locations in Clairemont and Point Loma will provide 21 beds, with the hope that these locations will be operational within the next 60 days.

Victor Esquivel, the Director of Housing & Youth Homeless Services for the LGBT Center, stated that these types of programs can be a lifeline for LGBTQ+ youth who have been rejected by their families.

The challenges faced by LGBTQ+ youth experiencing homelessness are numerous, with homophobia, bullying, harassment, and extremist hate on the rise. These obstacles can lead to a devastating increase in mental health crises, and queer youth are overrepresented among young people experiencing homelessness and housing instability in the United States.

A report released by the Trevor Project in February 2022 revealed that 28% of LGBTQ+ youth have experienced homelessness or housing instability at some point in their lives. Those who did had two to four times the odds of reporting depression, anxiety, self-harm, considering suicide, and attempting suicide compared to those with stable housing.

According to True Colors United, a national initiative co-founded over a decade ago by Cyndi Lauper, Lisa Barbaris, Jonny Podell, and Gregory Lewis, LGBTQ young people are 120% more likely to experience homelessness than non-LGBTQ youth. True Colors United aims to level the playing field so that LGBTQ youth are no more likely to experience homelessness than anyone else.

The opening of the LGBTQ+ youth shelter in San Diego is a step towards providing support for this vulnerable population. The Housing Commission hopes that this initiative will instill hope in these young people and provide them with a lifeline during a difficult time.

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