The Advocate: Out & Counted Report Feature
D.C. became a haven for LGBTQ+ people. Many young adults can no longer afford it. New research finds widespread housing insecurity, economic strain, and loneliness among queer and trans young adults in the nation’s capital.
New research finds widespread housing insecurity, economic strain, and loneliness among queer and trans young adults in the nation’s capital.
Washington, D.C., has the highest concentration of LGBTQ+ adults in the United States. But a new survey suggests many of the city’s young queer and transgender residents are struggling to afford housing, access mental healthcare, and envision a stable future in the nation’s capital.
A report published Wednesday by the Wanda Alston Foundation and Loyola Marymount University’s LGBTQ+ Politics Research Initiative found that 79 percent of LGBTQ+ young adults in Washington reported difficulty paying rent or a mortgage in the past year, nearly half struggled to afford basic necessities, and almost one-third had considered leaving the District because of housing insecurity. More than half rated their mental health as fair or poor, while more than 80 percent reported feelings of loneliness or isolation.
According to the Williams Institute at UCLA School of Law, an estimated 14.5 percent of adults in the District identify as LGBTQ+, the highest share in the nation. Nationally, the institute estimates that 5.5 percent of U.S. adults, or nearly 13.9 million people, identify as LGBTQ+.
District officials acknowledged the concerns while pointing to housing investments and LGBTQ+-specific support programs.
“The findings regarding housing affordability and economic insecurity among LGBTQIA+ young adults are concerning, but they also reinforce the importance of the work underway across the District,” Gaby Vincent, communications director for the D.C. Mayor’s Office of Community Affairs, said in a statement to The Advocate.
The report is based on responses from 304 LGBTQ+ residents ages 18 to 30 collected in March and April. Researchers said the project comes as LGBTQ+ information has been removed from hundreds of federal data systems and as lawmakers across the country continue advancing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation.
Despite high rates of employment and health insurance coverage, many respondents reported economic hardship. Eighty-one percent said they worked full-time, and 91 percent had health insurance, yet 48 percent struggled to afford basic necessities such as housing, food, and utilities. More than two-thirds reported having to choose between paying for basic needs and saving money during the previous year, while one-quarter worried about having enough food for themselves or their households.
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Out & Counted Research Report Released
Community findings suggest an affordability cliff, loneliness paradox & alarming health-risk behaviors among LGBTQ young adults
Washington, DC - Today, the Wanda Alston Foundation and the LGBTQ+ Politics Research Initiative at Loyola Marymount University are releasing an Out & Counted Research Report based on a robust community survey. The report, based on a survey of 304 LGBTQ+ young adults aged 18-30 who are residents of Washington, D.C., spotlights several challenges faced by this community:
LGBTQ+ Housing & Shelter Crisis
One in four experienced housing instability in their lifetime, with 67% of these experiencing housing instability within the past year.
These local findings outpace the crisis on a national scale.
Affordability Cliff & Queer Flight
Despite high workforce participation, DC’s LGBTQ+ young people are being priced out. A staggering 79% reported difficulty paying rent or mortgage, a sharp contrast to the approximately 45-50% rent-burdened rate seen in the general D.C. population.
Nearly half reported struggling to afford basic necessities.
1 in 3 said they were considering leaving the District because of housing insecurity.
The Loneliness Paradox
In one of the most visible LGBTQ+ hubs in the country, a profound isolation persists. Over 80% feel isolated often or some of the time.
More than half rate their mental health as only "fair" or "poor."
Alarming Health-Risk Behaviors
Tobacco and nicotine use, alcohol use, and marijuana use were significantly higher among LGBTQ+ youth than the D.C. Department of Health’s benchmarks for the general adult population.
“These findings suggest the District’s LGBTQ+ young people are being pushed to the brink. They are working hard, yet hitting an affordability cliff, deepened by a loneliness paradox and alarming health-risk behaviors,” said Cesar Toledo, Executive Director of the Wanda Alston Foundation. “To ignore these findings is to accept a 'Queer Flight' that will displace our LGBTQ+ community and drain the very lavender economic engine that Wells Fargo once famously noted as a secret sauce to economic growth.”
“These findings raise serious concerns regarding affordability and the mental health of LGBTQ+ youth in a city that has long welcomed the LGBTQ+ community,” said Gabriele Magni, Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of the LGBTQ+ Politics Research Initiative at Loyola Marymount University. “This data also warns that LGBTQ+ individuals could be priced out of traditional LGBTQ+ hubs, which have historically been instrumental in advancing the movement for LGBTQ+ equality.”
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About Wanda Alston Foundation
Since 2008, the Wanda Alston Foundation has been providing housing, support services, and pathways to economic mobility for at-risk & homeless LGBTQ+ youth in the Nation’s Capital. More here.
About Loyola Marymount University’s LGBTQ+ Politics Research Initiative
Associate Professor of Political Science Gabriele Magni is the Founding Director of the LGBTQ+ Politics Research Initiative at Loyola Marymount University, which studies the political behavior of LGBTQ+ elites and individuals, fosters conversations with LGBTQ+ leaders, and offers research opportunities to students. More here.