Stonewall Housing helps LGBTQ+ people in the UK who are experiencing homelessness or living in an unsafe environment. They recently won a £50 donation in our 50 for 50 competition! We spoke to Claire from Stonewall Housing to hear how the donation will make a difference and to find out a little more about their cause and the work they do.
“How fantastic! Happy days. That £50 could cover five telephone advice sessions for LGBTQ+ people worried about their housing – for example, if they’re facing an unfair eviction or experiencing homophobia or transphobia in their home.”
Tell us a little about your cause and what you do.
Stonewall Housing helps LGBTQ+ people in the UK who are experiencing homelessness or living in an unsafe environment. They provide specialist housing advice, advocacy and support for LGBTQ+ people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness. They have specialisms in Mental Health, Domestic Abuse and Supported Accommodation. Founded in 1983, they’re the only charity in the UK working with homeless LGBTQ+ people of all ages. They’re fighting to end homelessness, and will not stop until all LGBTQ+ people have a safe place to call home.
What you are currently fundraising for?
We’re currently fundraising to grow our frontline team across the UK. We currently support over 2400 people every year – though studies indicate that more than 64,000 people across the UK would benefit from our support each year and we are determined to do everything we can to ensure all LGBTQ+ people live in safety.
Has the cost of living crisis affected your fundraising in the past year?
We recognise that the cost-of-living crisis is forcing the poorest and most vulnerable communities to make incredibly difficult decisions, with rents climbing to often unaffordable levels or evictions. Many LGBTQ+ homeless people have the added problem of being forced to move away from their support networks and safe spaces because of the crisis and lack of LGBTQ+ friendly accommodation, with many moving into dangerous and unsuitable environments. We also support clients who had moved back into family homes, and in some cases, this meant returning to live with unaccepting and/or abusive family members or care givers. In some instances, clients had returned to the closet and hidden their sexuality and/or gender, with one service user telling us “it made me so depressed and anxious all the time, but I knew they’d kick me out if I stopped hiding who I was.” Another service user shared with us, “home was always a really explosive place to be, but after my [work] hours were cut down so much and my rent jumped up loads, I didn’t feel like I had a choice. It was move back in with my homophobic dad or sleep rough.”
The cost-of-living crisis is having a direct impact on the level of need for our service. In 2023 we had more referrals from people experiencing homelessness than we’ve ever had before – and that’s in 40 years. It’s so important to us to fundraise in order to grow our frontline team and meet this need. We love getting creative with our supporters and helping them fundraise for us, from drag-show brunches to pub quizzes!
What’s your top tip for new users using easyfundraising?
Keep sharing info on easyfundraising across your social channels and website – and communicate with your supporters the incredible difference they’re making.
Thank you to Michaela for sharing their story and the amazing work they do. You can sign up to support Stonewall Housing here.