Leading, Supporting, and Serving the Non-Profit Housing Sector

Best Practices

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Two Spirit (LGBT2S or LGBT) people often have difficulty accessing and maintaining appropriate, safe, and secure housing. Sexual orientation and gender identity can have a considerable impact on people. You may need basic information around these areas to identify or develop appropriate supports for LGBT tenants.

Besides practicing the best practices identified under Tenancy Management, best practices for LGBT2S populations help you in:

Creating Safer Spaces:

  • Having a written and enforced Policy of Respect
  • Including visible statements about LGBT2S inclusion in all publicity
  • Providing LGBT2S-friendly posters and leaflets in public spaces
  • Providing signage on washroom doors that is trans-friendly, e.g. 'Trans women welcome'
  • Ensuring staff have referral details for services
  • Having a no-tolerance approach to harassment
  • Including LGBT books and films in libraries, where libraries exist
  • Having targets to remove homophobic graffiti within 24 hours
  • Creating third-party reporting systems for homophobic harassment
  • Creating LGBT tenants' forums
  • Ensuring LGBT tenants are not invisible within policies and strategies
  • Ensuring staff are up-to-date on changes in the law
  • Ensuring staff have been trained in working effectively with these populations

Fact Sheet for Landlords and Housing Providers

Fact Sheet for Housing and Outreach Workers

Fact Sheet for General Social Service Providers

Asking Questions, as Appropriate, Relating to Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity:

Set the context – explain in person that:

  • All clients are asked the same questions
  • Questions are important because the information may be relevant to their tenancy, if issues arise
  • Information is used to ensure fair treatment to all clients
  • Information is used to plan services to respond to needs
  • Confidentiality is strict – who will have access to this information, and under what circumstances

How to ask the question

  • Ensure the question is jargon free, and give specific examples:
    "How would you define your sexuality? Lesbian, gay, bisexual, heterosexual, or unsure? Or would you prefer not to answer?" "What is your gender?"
    Man, woman, trans woman (Male to Female trans person), trans man (Female to Male trans person), unsure? Or would you prefer not to answer?"
  • Potential question for societies with larger sites, or sites with more than one     vacancy:
    "If possible, we would like to place you in an apartment that will help you feel safest and most comfortable. Are there factors that would help with this?"
    • E.g. closer or farther from high-trafficked areas
    • Closer or farther from tenants who are 'out'
    • Farther from tenants who have had difficulties maintaining positive relationships with other tenants (especially with LGBT tenants) 

Identifying Equalities Indicators:

  • How many LGBT people:
  • Are tenants who reported homophobic harassment?
  • Reported housing problems as a result of same-sex domestic abuse?
  • Of these, how many cases:
    • Resulted in the perpetrator being moved?
    • Resulted in the victim being moved?
    • Resulted in no further action being taken?

You can...

  • Test your society's best practices in this Tenant Group category
  • Check out the Best Practices and Resources for this Tenant Group category