This past April 29-May 1, sessions at the 2025 CHRA National Congress delved into pressing issues facing Canada’s housing and homelessness sector. Paving the Way: Advancing 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion in housing policy and practice brought together shelter providers and researchers to explore research project findings on how to better engage with and serve 2SLGBTQIA+ populations in housing and shelter settings, how to implement inclusive housing practices and policies for 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals of all ages, and tools to create a roadmap towards 2SLGBTQIA+ inclusion within organizations. Read on to learn more.

 

Exploring practice and responses to 2SLGTBQ+ homelessness in Montreal

Hannah Brais, Head of Research | Old Brewery Mission, and Jayne Malenfant, Assistant Professor, Integrated Studies in Education, McGill University

Old Brewery Mission (OBM), Montréal’s largest homelessness service provider, is well known for its inclusivity. It recently partnered with researchers from McGill University to broaden the academic literature on the housing and support needs of the 2SLGBTQ+ community and to better equip OBM in serving members of these communities.

There are currently no service providers that specialize in the intersection of homelessness and 2SLGBTQ+ identities in Montreal. Study participants noted that many service providers were restrictive towards trans clients. OBM staff participants indicated that supportive approaches were inconsistent across gendered services and different service models, and that staff had a difficult time intervening in instances where 2SLGTBQ+ clients faced discrimination from other service users. One key recommendation that came from staff was a need for more openly trans and queer representation amongst management and the board so that the imperative of challenging discrimination came from the top.

There were differing opinions among participants as to whether there should be separate and distinct homelessness services for 2SLGTBQ+ individuals. A sense that clients may self-isolate if they were in a mixed space and be more at risk for external victimization was at odds with the opinion of community participants who felt that having a 2SLGBTQ+ specific service would help make those accessing services feel safer and more understood. Many participants felt that having the choice to go a 2SLGTBQ+-focused service provider was important and currently missing for 2SLGTBQ+ adults experiencing homelessness in Montreal.

Key recommendations for OBM were formulated from the research:

• Develop stronger ties with 2SLGBTQ+-serving organizations + prevention
• Examine the needs of 2SLGBTQ+ people directly
• Standardize practices across services and pavilions
• Options are needed for services outside of the binary
• Representation of 2SLGBTQ+ staff in management
• Provide accessible, sustainable, and actionable training opportunities

 

Queer Identity & Housing: Understanding Holistic Housing Experiences of 2SLGBTQ+ Adults in Canada and Recommendations for Action

Jennifer Rae, Senior Research Associate, and Naheed Hosan, Research Associate, Social Research & Demonstration Corporation

Hoping to understand and improve the housing experiences of 2SLGTBQ+ adults in Canada, the Social Research & Demonstration Corporation  initiated the Queer Identity & Housing: Understanding Holistic Housing Experiences of 2SLGBTQ+ Adults in Canada and Recommendations for Action project with support from partners, the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness and Mentor Canada and with funding from CMHC under the National Housing Strategy Research and Planning Fund.

Researchers engaged with 2SLGBTQ+ adults with lived experience of housing challenges and housing stakeholders. Information was collected through in-depth interviews, an online submission form, and two virtual community workshops.

Key challenges that emerged include:

• Housing loss and instability caused by the need to leave home due to feeling unsafe with biological family, the breakdown of romantic relationships, cost of living, unstable employment, the lack of tenant rights, and other factors.
• Challenges finding housing include the need to find 2SLGTBQ+-safe landlords and housing discrimination.
• The need for formal supports including social assistance, harm reduction, emergency supports, and support during mental health and/or substance use recovery.
• A lack of access and dedicated spaces for the 2SLGBTQ+ community, particularly outside of major metropolises.
• How bureaucratic complexities can turn into barriers and stumbling blocks to getting help including conflicting eligibility criteria, extensive paperwork, and interlocking social service systems.
• The ways gender identity can complicate access to services, particularly when options were limited or structured around binary assumptions.

Participants described many ways to address the holistic housing needs of 2SLGBTQ+ adults including:

• integrated service hubs;
• 2SLGTBQ+ representation in housing spaces;
• universal basic income;
• mutual aid and solidarity-building; and
• advocacy and activism for 2SLGTBQ+ rights.

 

Building a road map to 2SLBTBQIA inclusion

Martha Singh Jennings, Director, Housing Advocacy and Support Services, The 519, and Rebecca Hooton, Manager, Sector Capacity Building, The 519

The 519 is Toronto’s first shelter dedicated to 2SLGTBQ+ adults. As an organization, they:

• respond to the evolving needs of 2SLGBTQ+ communities, from community gatherings and queer parenting resources to newcomers to Canada, supports, trans-specific programming, older adult social and education groups and many more community resources;
• provide free, accommodating and non-judgemental space where individuals, organizations and non-profit groups can meet, organize and work towards their goals; and
• share knowledge and insight gathered on the ground through consulting and workshop services, best practice research and public engagement campaigns.

In partnership with Toronto’s first adult 2SLGBTQ+ serving shelter, The 519 has developed a toolkit to guide shelter and service providers through immediate, long-term, and systemic changes they can institute to create safe, welcoming, inclusive spaces for 2SLGTBQ+ service users. The resource includes real world examples and templates to help organizations implement real change.

From creating an inclusive and respectful intake process, to proper screening and training for staff, and ensuring service users’ access to safety, comfort, and community resources, the toolkit supplies practical tips including:

• Offer your pronouns to all incoming residents to show that you are aware of how important pronouns are and to relay the message that you care about how residents want to be treated.
• In hiring, include interview questions that invite interviewees to demonstrate their commitment to supporting 2SLGBTQ+ residents.
• Ongoing training should be a priority to ensure all staff, both resident-facing and management, are aware of the needs of 2SLGBTQ+ residents.
• Provide all residents with information on resources available in the community rather than waiting to be asked about specific support.
• Create formal partnerships with 2SLGBTQ+ serving community partners that outline specific service agreements and delineate roles to support operations and residents to enhance your services.

Contact The 519 team at inclusion@the519.org for more information about the toolkit and how it can apply to your work..

 

This post was written in collaboration with session speakers Hannah Brais, Rebecca Hooton, Naheed Hosan, Jayne Malenfant, Jennifer Rae, and Martha Singh Jennings.