Safe homes for LGBTQIA+ youth

In Minnesota, LGBTQIA+ youth, especially transgender and nonbinary youth, face disproportionately high rates of homelessness. Although they represent a smaller share of the population, they account for nearly one in four youth experiencing homelessness across the state. The causes are often rooted in family rejection, economic hardship, housing discrimination, and limited access to gender-affirming health care.

A study by the Wilder Foundation found that 76% of LGBTQIA+ youth under 20 cited family conflict as a primary reason for their homelessness. For many, the very place that should be a source of safety becomes a site of trauma.

When compounded by racism, ableism and poverty, LGBTQIA+ youth, particularly youth of color, are left with few safe places to turn. But in the Twin Cities, queer youth aren’t just surviving — they’re leading.

Centering lived experience

At The Link, a Twin Cities nonprofit serving youth and families impacted by poverty and systemic injustice, young people with lived experience are at the center of the organization’s work. Through a model of youth and adult co-leadership, those most affected by homelessness help shape the programs designed to support them.

“How else would anyone know how to deal with it, if it wasn’t for the people who already went through it?” said Airreyonna, a former program participant and current youth leader. “I think The Link is one of the best things that can happen to Minnesota — because you got youth running it.”

That philosophy led to the creation of Project Live Out Loud (PLOL) in 2016, one of the first housing programs in the country specifically for LGBTQIA+ youth, and still one of only a few in Minnesota. The idea was sparked when a young person approached CEO Beth Holger to highlight the urgent need for affirming, safe housing for queer and trans youth.

Rooted in lived experience, youth and staff collaborated to design a program where LGBTQIA+ youth could access housing and care free of fear, judgment or harm — something made by and for them.

Project Live Out Loud (PLOL)

For LGBTQIA+ youth experiencing homelessness, having a safe place to live means more than just a roof overhead, it means the freedom to live openly and authentically. At Project Live Out Loud, youth are given the stability to breathe, heal, and begin again.

PLOL offers long-term, private apartments with rental support, allowing youth to avoid returning to homelessness. Participants are surrounded by trained, affirming adults who celebrate their identities. For many, it’s the first time they have felt truly seen and safe.

With that foundation, youth are able to pursue goals in education, employment, gender-affirming health care, and mental and physical wellness. Staff also connect them with culturally specific resources and LGBTQIA+ community organizations to support long-term housing stability.

To strengthen that sense of community, The Link recently opened a new nine-unit apartment building in St. Paul dedicated to LGBTQIA+ youth. PLOL participants can choose to live in this shared community with on-site services or opt for their own apartment elsewhere in the Twin Cities. For many, the new building provides not just housing, but belonging as well.

“Youth can feel comfortable in their own home and their own space at the PLOL building,” Airreyonna said. “They’re at home before they even get to their apartment. They’re comfortable with all their neighbors. They can relate to all their neighbors.”

Identity-affirming care

For LGBTQIA+ youth, housing is just the beginning. Many carry trauma from family rejection, violence and discrimination while unhoused or in other systems. These experiences can severely impact mental health. According to national data, 62% of unhoused LGBTQIA+ youth have seriously considered suicide in the past year, nearly twice the rate of their stably housed peers.

Recognizing that healing is just as critical as housing, The Link integrates on-site, affirming mental health care through a partnership with Reviving Roots, a Black-owned mental health practice. Services are delivered by BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ clinicians who understand the unique challenges these youth face.

This identity-affirming care not only helps youth feel safe and validated, but also addresses the trauma that can serve as a barrier to long-term stability.

A call to action

Programs like Project Live Out Loud have transformed lives, offering safety and hope where few other options exist. As Minnesota’s largest provider of housing for LGBTQIA+ youth, The Link provides housing, care and community for approximately 30 young people every night.

But the future of these programs is uncertain. Government funding for LGBTQIA+ services is increasingly at risk — alongside the safety and well-being of the youth they support.

Recent legislation and executive orders have threatened access to gender-affirming care, dismantled diversity initiatives, and proposed cuts to public benefits that many rely on.

As these political attacks escalate, the youth homelessness crisis is likely to deepen — just as organizations like The Link prepare for cuts to essential services. Without community support, the consequences could be devastating. But with support, LGBTQIA+ youth can thrive.

How to help

As LGBTQIA+ youth face mounting political and systemic challenges, the need for affirming housing and mental health care grows more urgent each day. A donation to organizations like The Link helps ensure that queer and trans youth in Minnesota can access safety, healing and opportunities — not just survive, but thrive.

Maggie Nagle is the grant writer at The Link. For more information, visit www.thelinkmn.org.