LGBTQIA+ people are disproportionately affected by poor housing and homelessness in the UK. Research by the Albert Kennedy Foundation has found that up to a third of young people experiencing homelessness identify in some way as LGBTQIA+ and Stonewall Housing's work highlights how as a group already disproportionally impacted by austerity and the hostile environment, LGBTQIA+ people find it harder to access housing, are less able to afford average rents, and have a more difficult time navigating support systems.
A recent wave of closures of gay bars and community spaces has brought this topic out into the open, in Oxford and beyond, and to coincide with the Museum of Oxford's 'Queering Spires' exhibition on LGBTQIA+ spaces in Oxford, this evening will give you a chance to explore the relationship between the disappearance of spaces for LGBTQIA+ people to meet, socialise and organise, and LGBTQIA+ housing insecurity and homelessness.
Head to Open House to explore some of the reasons behind these trends and their impact on LGBTQIA+ people, hear from activists and organisers who are providing tailored support for LGBTQIA+ folk experiencing homelessness, who are building housing specifically tailored for LGBTQIA+ older communities, and who are creating new 'queer' spaces for young people.
Open House, 36 Little Clarendon Street, OX1 2HU
