News / Bristol Charity Advent Calendar 2022
Bristol Charity Advent Calendar 2022, Day 16: akt
Up to 24 per cent of LGBTQ+ young people experience homelessness, 77 per cent of which could be preventable, according to national LGBTQ+ charity, akt.
Family rejection, abuse, eviction and hostile living environments are some of the experiences that LGBTQ+ youths aged 16-25 face.
These experiences can have lasting impacts on their health, wellbeing, safety, and opportunities, disproportionately disadvantaging them in comparison to their peers.
is needed now More than ever
akt recently opened a support centre in Bristol, to support LGBTQ+ youth in the city on their journeys to pursue education, employment, and/or training, in an environment that accepts and welcomes them as individuals.
akt offer everything from specialist housing advice and 1:1 mentor support to accommodation with a trained akt host/Purple Door accommodation/housing provider partners, and life skills training.
Previously, much of the charity’s work was remote in the south west, with many accessing the services digitally. Their expansion of a new office in Bristol provides a physical space young people can visit.
63 per cent of young people supported by LGBTQ+ charities in Bristol between 2021-2022 identify as trans, non-binary or gender-questioning, a figure 15 per cent above the 48 per cent average nationwide.
The opening of LGBTQ Youth Homelessness charity, akt in St Paul’s – photo: Mark Simmons
“Half of LGBTQ+ young people (50 per cent) who were happy to answer said they feared that expressing their LGBTQ+ identity to family members would lead to them being evicted. Almost one in ten (7 per cent) said the same about romantic partners,” akt found in a 2021 LGBTQ+ youth homelessness report.
Many of the stories found on akt’s website show the impact the charity has had on young lives, underscoring the charity’s ambition and ability to help those in difficult circumstances.
With only around 44 per cent of LGBTQ+ youth aware of available housing support services, shining a light on charities such as akt is as important as ever, to ensure support can be offered to those made vulnerable in society.
Main photo: Mark Simmons
Read next:
- Hope for Bristol’s young queer homeless
- Spike in the number of trans youth facing homelessness in Bristol
- Supporting LGBTQ+ young people who are at risk of homelessness
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