What do you get when you provide a speaking platform in a room full of some of Chicago's most active community leaders and advocates on the brink of something new? Essentially, there are penetrating statistics and a transcending reality that get to the core of the LGBT housing dilemma.
A public town-hall meeting was held Feb. 25 at City Hall to address LGBT housing discrimination around the nation. Chicago was the first site of a three-city public dialogue to provide input through collective information and experiences for a new study being spearheaded by U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ( HUD ) Assistant Secretary Raphael Bostic.
"We were fully embraced by the mayor's office; it is refreshing. ... We are the LGBT community resource and we are here to listen," said Bostic.
Bostic, along with local LGBT mayoral liaison Bill Greaves and Simone Koehlinger, LGBT director for the Chicago Department of Health, presented a plan to conduct this study in Chicago and around the country.
This latest study is one of four that have been conducted. In 2000, the third study, measured "the extent of housing discrimination in the United States against persons because of their race or color," according to www.HUDUser.org .
"This study is really designed to create a framework so that [ LGBT people ] won't have to live with the fear of their sexuality being a part of why they aren't living somewhere," said Bostic. "The findings that we have can lead to a direct dialogue about the problems that the LGBT community is having in housing and to get us to where no one lives in fear."
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The varied audience consisted of concerned community members, local organization affiliates, to bureaucratic supporters. Among those attending were 46th Ward Alderman Helen Shiller; Jose R. Rios ( GLBT community liaison officer for the Chicago Police Department's 23rd District ) ; and Helena Bushong of the Chicago Area HIV Services Planning Council.
The presenters revealed youth, elders and the trans community are at the heart of Chicago's LGBT housing plight.
Bushong, a trans activist, expressed the difficulties elderly LGBT people face. "We encounter safety issues, we are often isolated and we are at risk. ... Elderly LGBT people are coming in high numbers and an epidemic is approaching."
Joe Hollendoner, director of Broadway Youth Center ( BYC ) , provided eye-opening statistics on the state of homeless youth. For example, there are about 1,300 homeless youth while BYC has fewer than 50 official beds; in addition, there is no trans-specific housing while age brackets at some facilities disqualify others. Bostic responded that "LGBT people are multidimensional" and "youth and elders are in vulnerable positions."
Regarding the town-hall meetings, Bostic said, "We are starting from scratch and we need all of your support." Data will be collected into next spring and summer.
New York City and San Francisco are the other cities hosting town-hall meetings. However, this is a national stud and HUD will seek input from across the country.
