Cincinnati leads nation in LGBTQ youth homelessness prevention initiative

Cincinnati’s Hamilton County is one of just two communities in the nation selected to participate in a National LGBTQ Youth Homelessness Prevention Initiative.
 
Lighthouse Youth Services is leading the initiative in partnership with Strategies to End Homelessness in an effort to identify a plan that goes beyond troubleshooting, says Meredith Hicks, LYS planning and policy director.
 
Instead, Hicks wants to create a system to ensure the support and safety for youth who are LGBTQ.
 
“Nationally, we know that LGBTQ homeless youth are overrepresented in the homeless youth populations, so the estimate is that 20-40 percent of homeless youth identify as LGBTQ,” Hicks says.
 
“And these young people are at an increased risk of victimization when they’re on the streets, just by nature of their experience and orientation toward gender identity, and our staff here has seen it playing out in our own center.”  
 
The U.S. Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Education, Health and Human Services and Justice, as well as the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness developed the initiative, in which both Cincinnati and Houston are participating.
 
According to Hicks, about 45 participants came together in Cincinnati for the initiative’s kickoff last month to identify community needs, challenges, strengths and weaknesses.
 
The planning process will extend through September and will be followed by a three-year implementation process.
 
“One takeaway and really important aspect of the plan is we recognize a need for better services and awareness building around service providers in serving young people among families, among teachers, as a community and among faith groups,” Hicks says.
 
“Part of this is really working with families so they can have better understanding, and one of the goals of that is going to be to help educate people in our systems to help keep people in their homes.” 

Do Good:

•    Support Lighthouse Youth Services by donating.

•    Contact Meredith Hicks if you're interested in getting involved with the initiative.

•    Learn about LGBTQ issues at the True Colors Fund, one of the technical assistance organizations for the process.

Brittany York is a professor of English composition at the University of Cincinnati and a project manager for Charitable Words. She also edits the For Good section of SoapboxMedia.