US: Report shows Chicago homeless LGBT youth are in urgent need
The findings of the Chicago 2014 Homeless Summit, which addressed LGBT youth homelessness in particular, are detailed in a new report that describes the urgent need of homeless youth.
Among the findings of the report based on the May 2014 summit was the need for housing. The summit recommended 800 shelter beds are needed for both emergency situations and more permanent housing for youth, along with 200 apartments in Chicago.
The summit also expressed the need to recruit more LGBT-friendly foster families for youth, and the need of storage facilities for youth belongings.
Youth also expressed a need for support in the form of agencies that specialize in LGBT youth homelessness, educational and job training, and a mobile-friendly phone app with information on shelters and resources.
Youth organizer Breezy Connor said to Public News Service: “[Those in attendance] definitely were listening, and they want to help. It’s a really a huge problem – it’s not just something that needs to be kept in the dark, it needs to be brought to the light and dealt with.”
About 300 people attended the summit across a three day period with the goal of aiding youth homelessness in Chicago.
It is estimated that 40 percent of the homeless youth population are LGBT.
