COMMUNITY support of Pride Month can go a long way to supporting LGBTIQ+ people who are disproportionately experiencing homelessness.
That is according to Mallee Accommodation & Support Program (MASP), which is raising awareness of the over-representation of LGBTIQ+ people in homelessness statistics.
MASP said 34 per cent of lesbian and gay people had at least once been homeless compared to 13 per cent of heterosexual people in 2014, according to ABS data.
MASP acting CEO Charmaine Calis said demonstrating support for LGBTIQ+ year-round showed people in hard times that they had somewhere safe to access services.
“If an individual isn’t supported out in their community, they’re not going to feel able to be the person they are and seek out the things they need, so feeling that sense of belonging and being included makes people feel like they can show people who they are and be accepted and supported,” Ms Calis said.
“We’re here, we’re accepting and we want to support you no matter what.”
Ms Calis also said that while Pride Month was a celebration of diverse identities, it was also an opportunity to acknowledge the struggles so far and the challenges ahead.
“It’s important for us to celebrate diversity but also to acknowledge that there’s a long history of that not being the case, and that to be able to move forward we need to acknowledge where we’ve come from and that people still feel some of these challenges today – people still feel excluded from family, services and community,” she said.
The Mallee-based service has seen an increase in people seeking housing support, both within the LGBTIQ+ community and across the community in general.
Ms Calis said government intervention was needed to tackle the disparity of those experiencing homelessness, through family and domestic violence, housing and employment support.
Victorian Minister for Housing and Equality Harriet Shing told The Guardian the government was continuing to work to create a more inclusive Victoria.
“Our Pride in Place program provides safe and inclusive housing support for LGBTIQ+ Victorians at risk of homelessness, including crisis accommodation, flexible funds for rent and access to accommodation packages,” Ms Shing said.
“We have provided funding to continue Pride in Place as part of our investment of $197 million in the Victorian Budget 2024-25 to fund crucial services that support people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.”
