2016 REPORT

LGBT housing futures: a feasibility study

The Research

From our review of research reports published over the previous 20 years, as well as our conversations with current experts, a number of consistent themes emerge:

• there are diverse views about whether people would prefer LGBT-specific housing, or whether they would prefer for mainstream, integrated housing with a clear understanding of LGBT people’s needs;
• there is a desire for choice in finding suitable housing and support provision;
• home is particularly important for the older LGBT generation, many of whom have grown up not feeling safe in the outside world: for them, their home has been the one consistent safe and private space in their lives;
• many older LGBT people have a fear of isolation.

As part of our research methodology, we hosted an online discussion forum, inviting comments and opinions from a range of experts. Our questions about the evidence of need for older LGBT housing provoked numerous responses, including those shown below.

What do you think? How do we evidence the need for older LGBT housing? Do we want LGBT housing? And what steps should housing providers take towards ensuring that their housing is accessible to older LGBT people?