The London LGBTIQA+ Housing Campaign is a new campaigning coalition of National and London based LGBTIQA+ organisations: Stonewall Housing, AKT, Micro Rainbow International, Tonic Living, The Outside Project, LGBT Consortium and Stonewall. We have been meeting for several months to produce a historic Manifesto ahead of the Mayoral Election 2020 Campaign. Please find our key points below, sign and share this petition in support of our work. Thankyou.
London has the highest proportion of people who openly identify as LGB in the UK, estimated to be at least 450,000 citizens. There are only 77 LGBTIQA+ specific community housing bed spaces.
This chronic lack of provision of LGBTIQA+ community housing in London reflects an absence of understanding the specific issues, needs and disadvantages facing LGBTIQA+ citizens. This historic deficiency of awareness and investment must be rectified through the creation of a pan-London pathway which is distinct from mainstream services and is based on the expertise of all parts of the LGBTIQA+ community.
The absence of understanding of the specific issues, needs and disadvantages facing LGBTIQA+ citizens by mainstream organisations is at the root of many of the housing and support issues our communities face. An LGBTIQA+ community led approach is essential to ensure that this disadvantage is addressed appropriately and sensitively.
With funding we can ensure that consultation and services are accessible to all LGBTIQA+ people in London with an active bias towards those who are more marginalised within our community including trans, BAME, people with addiction, mental health and physical health needs, and people seeking asylum.
We ask the next prospective Mayor of London to undertake to:
1. Produce an LGBTIQA+ Housing Strategy for London
2. Work with local councils to build a pan-London support pathway of accommodation and support services for LGBTIQA+ people
3. Create a Greater London Authority portfolio role for LGBTIQA+ housing
4. Fund LGBTIQA+ awareness training for commissioners and delivery staff
5. Establish a coordinated approach to data collection to evidence need and impact
6. Embed community-led principles in all of these actions to ensure there is ‘Nothing about us without us’ with appropriate funding to facilitate this.
You can read the manifesto here
Find out more about ‘Our Work in London’ here