Examining the Intersection of Housing Instability and Violence Among LGBTQ Adults

ABSTRACT

To assess the relationship between LGBTQ status and (1) current, recent, and lifetime experiences of housing instability, (2) risk of housing instability due to fears of interpersonal violence, and (3) perceived housing challenges, this study examined online survey data from individuals with a household income <$35,000 (N = 1,270). Analyses compared LGBTQ and cisgender heterosexual respondents using chi-square tests and logistic regression. Over their lifetime, LGBTQ respondents had increased odds of sleeping outdoors (adjusted odds ratios [AOR] = 1.580) or in a car (AOR = 1.465) because they had nowhere else to stay. They also had increased odds of reporting housing challenges related to violence from family/friends (AOR = 3.278), substance abuse (AOR = 3.063), and mental health (AOR = 2.048). Interventions serving LGBTQ adults should prioritize safety concerns and consider providing services to both individuals and families. In addition, providers should increase sensitivity toward issues of sexual orientation and gender identity and the unique needs of LGBTQ adults.

KEYWORDS:

• Homelessness
• housing instability
• interpersonal violence
• LGBTQ
• sexual minority
• gender minority
• substance use
• mental health

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

Funding was provided by the following academic affiliates: University of Alabama at Birmingham, Boston University, and Utah State University.