About the Report
This joint report titled "Safe and Adequate Housing for LGBTQI People: A Focus on Children and Young People. Civil society findings on housing exclusion and homelessness in support of the thematic review of Council of Europe Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)5" by IGLYO and FEANTSA explores the barriers LGBTQI people face in accessing adequate housing and the heightened risks of homelessness and social exclusion across Europe. It was developed to support the Council of Europe’s 2026–2027 thematic review of the implementation of Recommendation CM/Rec(2010)5, focusing specifically on its provisions relating to housing, homelessness and protection from discrimination.
The report draws on a civil society survey conducted between April and June 2026. It received contributions from 87 organisations and networks, with the final analysis covering responses from 29 Council of Europe member States. Respondents included organisations working on LGBTQI rights, youth, housing, homelessness, advocacy, service provision, research and legal support, providing a broad picture of both policy frameworks and realities on the ground.
The findings show that LGBTQI inclusion remains unevenly addressed in housing and homelessness policies. Fewer than half of respondents reported the existence of an LGBTQI equality strategy or action plan in their context, and only a small proportion identified clear measures within those frameworks addressing housing or homelessness. Even where relevant laws or policies exist, their implementation is often limited by insufficient funding, weak monitoring, limited data and inadequate consultation with LGBTQI communities.
The report also documents how housing exclusion can result from overlapping forms of discrimination and disadvantage. Family rejection, violence, discrimination in housing and employment, economic insecurity, and barriers to social protection and support services can combine to increase the risk of homelessness. These risks are particularly acute for LGBTQI children and young people, trans and non-binary people, intersex people, migrants and asylum seekers, racialised people, people with disabilities and others facing intersecting forms of discrimination.
A central finding is that mainstream housing and homelessness services are often not equipped to provide safe, appropriate and inclusive support. Specialised services remain scarce and are frequently delivered by civil society organisations with limited resources. Respondents highlighted particular concerns around gender-segregated accommodation, privacy, safeguarding, misgendering, harassment, and the lack of trained professionals and effective referral pathways.
The report calls on public authorities to integrate LGBTQI inclusion across housing, homelessness and equality policies; strengthen prevention and early intervention; adequately fund both mainstream and specialised services; improve training, data collection and accountability; and ensure the meaningful participation of LGBTQI people, particularly children and young people. Its main message is clear: access to safe and adequate housing must be treated as a fundamental question of dignity, equality and human rights.
