DAHA Policy: Housing Insecurity, Inequality & The LGBTQ+ Community
The Domestic Abuse Housing Alliance (DAHA) recognises that LGBTQ+ people across the UK face heightened levels of housing insecurity, discrimination and systemic inequality. These harms do not exist in isolation; they emerge at the intersection of identity, structural bias and the persistent lack of intersectional responses across housing, homelessness and domestic abuse systems.
LGBTQ+ housing insecurity is not anecdotal – it is evidenced, measurable and persistent. Research from Crisis and Stonewall shows that almost one in five LGBTQ+ people in the UK have experienced homelessness at some point in their lives. Government evidence further confirms that LGBTQ+ people are disproportionately represented among those experiencing homelessness, with 16%–32% of people accessing homelessness services identifying as LGBTQ+. Among young people, the risks are even more severe: AKT’s national survey reports that 20% of LGBTQ+ young people experienced hidden homelessness in the past year, and 33% of trans young people surveyed had experienced hidden homelessness. Research also shows that LGBTQ+ individuals face significant discrimination from landlords and additional barriers to securing safe, stable housing in both the private and social rented sectors.
Domestic abuse compounds these risks even further. Across the UK, domestic abuse affects significant numbers of LGBTQ+ people: studies show that 25% of lesbian and bisexual women, 40% of gay and bisexual men, and 28% of trans people have experienced domestic abuse. Research also highlights that 73% of trans survivors report transphobic emotional abuse from a partner or ex-partner. These figures demonstrate that domestic abuse within LGBTQ+ communities is often deeply entwined with identity-based violence - placing survivors at heightened risk of homelessness, isolation, and further harm within systems not designed with their experiences in mind.
These figures reveal a system that does not recognise the realities faced by LGBTQ+ people, especially those who are trans, non-binary, young, disabled, older, migrants or from racialised communities. For many, experiences of homelessness and domestic abuse intersect with identity-based violence: coercive control involving threats of “outing”, abuse from family members, rejection from informal support networks, and housing pathways shaped by heteronormative and cisnormative assumptions. Without an intersectional lens, LGBTQ+ people remain unseen, underserved and at elevated risk of harm.
DAHA believes that safe, inclusive, and affirming housing pathways must be the baseline standard, not the exception. Our accreditation frameworks embed trauma-informed and intersectional principles, requiring housing providers to develop policies and practice that meet the needs of LGBTQ+ residents and survivors with dignity, confidence and cultural competence. This includes creating safe disclosure routes, reviewing policy for LGBTQ+ inclusivity, strengthening staff training, working with specialist LGBTQ+ organisations, and using sensitive data to illuminate - rather than obscure - where inequalities persist.
As Nikki Clarke, Head of Service – Housing & Criminal Justice at Standing Together, states:
“DAHA’s commitment is simple: every survivor deserves safety, dignity and belonging. That means every housing provider must be equipped to respond to LGBTQ+ people with confidence, respect and care – not as an afterthought, but as a core part of their responsibility.”
Our Housing team works collaboratively with leading LGBTQ+ organisations and statutory agencies across the UK to strengthen housing and safeguarding responses. We recognise and value the essential work of The Outside Project, the UK’s first LGBTIQ+ shelter, refuge and community centre; Galop, the national service supporting LGBTQ+ survivors of domestic abuse, hate crime and sexual violence; and AKT, who lead vital work supporting LGBTQ+ young people experiencing homelessness.
We also align our practice development and policy advocacy with statutory bodies including the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) and the Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC). Their evidence and strategic insights strengthen our shared mission to ensure LGBTQ+ people are not left invisible within housing, safeguarding or criminal justice systems.
Together, this network of specialist partners and statutory agencies forms a crucial part of the national infrastructure needed to deliver safer, more inclusive housing pathways for LGBTQ+ residents and survivors.
Intersectionality must underpin this work. Many LGBTQ+ people experiencing housing insecurity are also navigating racism, disability, poverty, long-term health conditions, or surviving domestic abuse. When services fail to account for these overlapping inequalities, LGBTQ+ people are left to navigate fragmented housing systems alone - raising the risk of homelessness, exploitation and harm. DAHA continues to champion the Whole Housing Approach and the Coordinated Community Response (CCR), ensuring that LGBTQ+ survivors are supported by a joined-up system rather than siloed interventions.
To shift housing systems from exclusion to inclusion, DAHA recommends:
- Embed LGBTQ+-inclusive domestic abuse practice
Ensure all staff receive training on LGBTQ+ identities, experiences of abuse and intersectional risk, enabling survivors to disclose safely and receive appropriate support.
- Guarantee safe, choice-led housing pathways
LGBTQ+ survivors must be able to remain safely in their home where appropriate or relocate without discrimination or assumptions.
- Collect inclusive data safely and sensitively
Ethical collection of sexual orientation and gender identity data enables providers to identify inequalities, challenge bias and design responsive services.
- Partner with specialist organisations
Collaboration strengthens visibility, improves pathways and ensures practice is grounded in lived experience.
- Challenge discrimination and bias within housing systems
Policies, procedures and culture must be reviewed to eliminate heteronormative and cisnormative assumptions.
- Embed whole-system, coordinated responses
LGBTQ+ survivors benefit most when housing, domestic abuse services, safeguarding, health and justice agencies work together as part of a consistent, survivor-centred system.
Housing insecurity among LGBTQ+ people is not simply a housing issue - it is a question of equality, dignity and safety. When housing systems fail to recognise sexual orientation and gender identity as core factors influencing vulnerability, LGBTQ+ people are too often left without safe homes, without support, and without visibility in policy or practice.
DAHA stands firmly with the LGBTQ+ community. We remain committed to working alongside housing providers, specialist organisations and national partners to build a system where housing is not a barrier to safety - but a foundation for belonging, security and justice for all.
(Sources for referencing)
Homelessness & Housing