From Grey Houses to Rainbow Homes. A Review of Specific Supportive Housing for LGTBIQ+ People Experiencing Homelessness in Europe

Abstract

Homelessness challenges the guarantee of the universal right to housing and has a differentiated impact on LGTBIQ+ people. For this reason, special emphasis has been placed on the need for specific and safe accommodations. In the European context, these have been created since the 1980s but have been scarcely visible, and may be at risk in the current moment of conservative reaction to democratic regimes (Biroli & Caminotti 2020), with the increase in hate speech against LGBTI+ people. This article presents an analysis of these resources, allowing us to draw lessons of interest for guaranteeing this right, and for democracy as a whole.