Report reveals "hidden homelessness" among LGBTQ+ people across Europe

A new report published by ILGA-Europe, a leading LGBTQ+ organisation, has uncovered the scale and complexity of homelessness among LGBTQ+ communities, warning that systemic discrimination and social exclusion are driving people out of safety and stability.

Entitled “The Power of Data: Addressing LGBTI Homelessness in Europe”, the briefing brings together research conducted between July 2023 and July 2024 in Italy, Spain, Germany and Slovenia. The study was carried out by five partner organisations - QUORE in Italy, the Black Sex Worker Collective in Germany, Ljubljana Pride in Slovenia, and the joint efforts of Ahora Donde and ACATHI in Spain - with support from ILGA-Europe and funding from the European Commission.

LGBTI individuals face unique risks, including family rejection, discrimination and institutional neglect.

The research combines quantitative analysis, interviews and local expertise to document the prevalence, causes and consequences of LGBTQ+ homelessness. It reveals that homelessness is not simply a housing issue but the result of systemic barriers that strip people of security and support. According to Anastasia Smirnova, Programmes Director at ILGA-Europe: “LGBTI individuals face unique risks, including family rejection, discrimination and institutional neglect. Addressing LGBTI homelessness means confronting intersecting forms of systemic discrimination, oppression and social exclusion that affect not only housing security but also access to fair treatment, safety and community belonging.”

The findings highlight stark regional differences. In Germany, stigma surrounding sex work is identified as a major obstacle to stable housing for Black LGBTI sex workers. In Italy, minority stress - including experienced, perceived and internalised stigma - is shown to perpetuate homelessness within the LGBTI community. In Slovenia, the economic impact is profound, with homelessness disrupting education and early career paths, leading to significant lifetime earnings loss. In Spain, family rejection, social isolation and discrimination emerge as key drivers, with hidden homelessness often taking the form of couch-surfing.

LGBTI homelessness is not inevitable; it is the result of systems that can and must change

While the report points to successful interventions such as specialised shelters, housing-first approaches, trauma-informed care and peer support programmes, these remain isolated examples. ILGA-Europe is calling for coordinated action across Europe, urging governments and service providers to integrate LGBTI-specific measures into national homelessness strategies, expand targeted and trauma-informed services, invest in research and data collection, and tackle the systemic discrimination at the root of the problem. “LGBTI homelessness is not inevitable; it is the result of systems that can and must change,” Smirnova said. “Evidence shows that progress happens when governments, providers and communities work together to dismantle structural barriers.”

The full briefing, “The Power of Data: Addressing LGBTI Homelessness in Europe”, is available on ILGA-Europe’s website. The research forms part of ILGA-Europe’s No One Left Behind programme, launched in 2020 to advance socio-economic justice and address the underlying causes of exclusion experienced by LGBTQ+ people across Europe.