Up to 40% of homeless teens are LGBTQ. Soon, Indianapolis will have a home for them.

While less than 10 percent of teens identify as LGBTQ, as many as 40 percent of youth who experience homelessness do. But there are few services to help these teens and few safe places for them to live.

This summer the state’s first transitional housing for homeless LGBTQ youth will open in the Mapleton Fall Creek area. Called Trinity Haven, the home initially will have room for 10 youths and, eventually, capacity for as many as 15. Still, that will come nowhere near to stanching the need, said Chris Paulsen, executive director of the Indiana Youth Group, which offers programming for the LGBTQ youth population.

“I would say we could easily fill 10 Trinity Havens today,” said Paulsen, an ex officio member of the home’s board. “Actually, we could fill 20 Trinity Havens.”

1 in 4 youths who come out to family know homelessness

About 1 in 4 youths who come out as LGBTQ to their families finds themselves at least temporarily homeless, statistics show. While some of those do reunite with their families after the initial shock, others do not and must scramble to put a roof over their heads. Some exchange sex for shelter.

Read more: https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2019/03/31/homeless-lgbtq-teens-indianapolis-facility-give-place-call-home/3238244002/