Global
Across 71 organizations in 32 European countries, more than 60% of LGBTQI-focused organizations surveyed said they had worked with young people who had experienced homelessness.
More than 60% of homelessness-service organizations surveyed had also encountered LGBTQI young people experiencing homelessness, often without appropriate training or support. And the systems response was weak: 72% of respondents reported that their country had no national policy specifically addressing LGBTQI youth homelessness, while 59% reported a lack of government support for programs focused on LGBTQI youth homelessness.
Source: ILGA-Europe — Perceptions: Addressing LGBTI Youth Homelessness
ILGA-Europe also released a newer 2025 briefing drawing on research in Italy, Spain, Germany and Slovenia. It emphasizes that LGBTQI homelessness is frequently hidden and connected to intersecting factors including family rejection, racial discrimination, institutional neglect, and minority stress.
True Colors United reports that service providers have estimated 20–40% of youth experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQ, compared with 7–10% of the general youth population.
United States
“LGBTQ+ youth are 120% more likely to experience homelessness.”
In the U.S., Chapin Hall found that LGBTQ young people face a 120% higher risk of homelessness than heterosexual/cisgender peers. This is probably your strongest headline statistic because it communicates disparity immediately.
“1 in 10 young adults experiences homelessness in a single year.”
Chapin Hall estimated that 1 in 10 young adults ages 18–25 experience some form of homelessness during a 12-month period in the U.S. For adolescents ages 13–17, the figure is 1 in 30. Their definition captures experiences such as shelters, sleeping on the streets, and couch surfing.
“LGBTQ+ young people are twice as likely to experience hidden homelessness.” Even more striking: 26% — roughly 1 in 4 — of LGBTQ+ young people surveyed had experienced hidden homelessness.
akt's 2025 UK research found LGBTQ+ young people were twice as likely to experience hidden homelessness, including sofa surfing, squatting, or staying in unsafe/unstable accommodation. “For trans young people, the number rises to 1 in 3.” akt found 33% of trans young people surveyed had experienced hidden homelessness, compared with 22% of cisgender respondents.There is also a major racial disparity: non-white LGBTQ+ respondents were 50% more likely to experience hidden homelessness than white LGBTQ+ respondents.
