Queer identity and housing: Co-designing holistic housing access with 2SLGBTQ+ adults in Canada

Studies show that 2SLGBTQ+ youth experience a high level of homelessness, and there is growing evidence that the barriers to housing continue into adulthood. This research project will use collaborative, participatory methods to hear directly from people with lived experience. It'll also consult with service providers, housing stakeholders, and local decision-makers. Together, they will explore the factors that help or prevent access to holistic housing for adults who identify as 2SLGBTQ+. The project will produce journey maps and narrative videos to share people’s stories in creative ways. The data will support evidence-based policymaking to improve and better target government action to address the issues.

Project scope and expected outcomes

Holistic housing for 2SLGBTQ+ adults

A 2022 study with queer and trans youth aged 18-30 and 2SLBGTQ+-centered service providers resulted in recommended changes to policies, programs, and services. With growing evidence that 2SLGBTQ+ adults also encounter increased rates of housing insecurity, this project examines their experiences.

Systemic factors and discrimination mean queer individuals are more likely than their heterosexual and cisgender peers to live in poverty. Queer folks also experience barriers to employment and are at greater risk of job loss. They are more likely to be victims of violence and to experience mental health and substance use challenges. Those who are seniors, racialized, or recent immigrants face additional barriers.

This research project will identify the factors that help or prevent access to holistic housing (housing that combines physical improvements with social and economic action) for 2SLGBTQ+ adults in situations with either a high or low level of resources. The research will seek answers to these questions:

• How do 2SLBGTQ+ individuals access housing throughout adulthood, in situations of a) high support (typical of urban areas) and b) low support (typical of rural areas)?
• What helps or prevents access to holistic housing for 2SLGBTQ+ adults, and helps them thrive, not just survive?
• Where along the housing journey of 2SLGBTQ+ adults can solutions/interventions be designed, with input from people with lived experience, housing stakeholders, and policy-makers in local, regional, provincial, and federal governments?

Research features a collaborative approach

This research uses a collaborative, participatory approach to identify and prioritize key ways to improve access to holistic housing for 2SLGBTQ+ adults. This approach focuses on the needs and perspectives of 2SLGBTQ+ adults as well as on providers, programs, and policies along the range of housing types available.

The research team will take a phased approach:

1. The first phase will begin with community engagement and establishing an advisory group to help guide the project. This phase will also include a targeted literature review. By the end of this phase, the team will identify 2 communities of focus (one high resource, the other low).
2. In the next phase, the research team will conduct in-depth qualitative interviews with participants, including 2SLGBTQ+ adults, housing stakeholders, and decision-makers. Then, the research team will bring participants together to identify practical solutions that could be applied with either high- or low-level supports.
3. In the final phase, the research team will develop creative knowledge translation tools, such as illustrative journey maps and narrative videos, to share research findings.

Working toward solutions

The research will centre on the experiences and perspectives of 2SLGBTQ+ adults, while also hearing from housing stakeholders and decision-makers. The result will be prioritized, practical solutions designed for communities with either high- or low-density supports.

See more examples of projects funded through the National Housing Strategy Research and Planning Fund.