New LGBTQ+ housing research and practice network launches

By Gareth Young and Jack Mason


The Housing Studies Association (HSA) are excited to announce the launch of a new LGBTQ+ housing research and practice network, which hopes to bring together researchers, practitioners and policymakers with a shared interested in LGBTQ+ people’s experiences of housing and homelessness.

The network will be co-chaired by Gareth Young, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Fellow at the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, and Jack Mason, LGBTQ+ Housing Pledge Coordinator at Stonewall Housing. The two connected via LinkedIn last year and, upon meeting, found that whilst they were coming from the distinct worlds of research and practice, their mutual interests in LGBTQ+ inclusive housing frameworks, policies and practice were very much aligned. From these conversations sprung the idea for this network.

This HSA members network will offer a safe space for collaboration, sharing knowledge and thinking, while driving policy and practice and showcasing good practice for equitable housing outcomes for LGBTQ+ people. The plan is to use the space to deep dive into pieces of research, offer peer support related to a particular topic or issue, talk about examples of inclusive work going on in the sector, and hear from guest speakers on a range of topics.

Research sharing will be a central theme in the group, complimenting a growing body of work exploring LGBTQ+ communities and housing, including from the organisations that Gareth and Jack represent.

Last year, the Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence published a survey by Edith England and Neil Turnbull that that demonstrated that homelessness among LGBTQ+ people was disproportionately high: a fifth reported recent experiences which fall within the UK-wide recognised definition of homelessness. This was even higher for certain groups, notably those who were trans, non-binary or agender, and those who had experienced homelessness before the age of 18. Meanwhile, Jack’s organisation, Stonewall Housing, just released their latest annual impact report, which highlighted the main drivers of housing instability within the community, namely family rejection and religious discrimination.

There’s also a proliferation of research produced by other LGBTQ+ organisations and academic bodies. Just a couple of months ago, the charity akt worked in partnership with the Universities of Kent, Bristol, and Southampton to produce ‘There’s No Place Like Home’ – an LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness Report (2025). It highlights the prevalence of “hidden homelessness”—situations where individuals are without stable housing but not officially recognised in homelessness statistics. Amongst other stark takeaways, it found that LGBTQ+ young people are twice as likely to experience hidden homelessness compared to their non-LGBTQ+ peers, and one in four LGBTQ+ youth reported experiencing hidden homelessness, a figure significantly higher than government estimates.

We hope to use the space to address the findings of similar research in this area and work together as a community to think strategically about how to apply their key recommendations in our day-to-day lives as practitioners, academics, policy-makers and people interested in taking action. This group is for anyone with a broader interest in LGBTQ+ housing.

The inclusive values underscoring the network group feel particularly pertinent given the global rollback of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) initiatives we’re witnessing. Beginning in the United States, this rollback has made its way into Britain with criticism of local authority workers occupying roles in EDI. In the media, we often see marginalised identities turned into political footballs and made the subject of manufactured ‘culture war’ debates that figures from all corners of the political spectrum wade into. Most recently the UK Supreme Court ruled that the ‘sex’ category in the Equality Act relates to ‘biological sex’, which has far-reaching implications and has led to a flurry of harmful narratives perpetuated against marginalised communities. Ultimately, it is minority voices – in this case trans and non-binary people – that often bear the brunt of this ever-more polarised discourse.

By offering a space to focus on LGBTQ+ communities, this network hopes to challenge the mainstream ‘voicelessness’ of certain groups. That’s why it’s so important that we ensure that the space is inclusive and supportive. We will also take opportunities to platform speakers – including experts with lived experience – to share their insights with members of the group around particular topics, whether that’s trans-inclusive policies for housing providers or an opportunity to share a new piece of research for the first time.

At this stage we are keen to hear from the wider community about how you’d like the group to look, both in terms of structure and content. Our first meeting is open to non-members of the HSA to give a flavour of what the network might offer. At this session we’d be really keen to hear from the group about the kinds of things that would be valuable to hold, but also to hear about what practicalities – such as length and frequency of meetings – would make this an attractive network for people to get involved with.

Dates and how to join the network, please click here

 LGBTQ+ Housing & Homelessness Survey

Impact Report 2023 – 2024

Uncovering LGBTQ+ youth homelessness in the UK