Recap of PFLAG Chicago Metro Meeting, Feb 2010 by Caitlin Bergh

On February 21, 2010, Bonnie Wade and her colleague, Patricia Posey, spoke to us at the PFLAG Metro Chicago meeting at the Howard Brown Health Center about the UCAN LGBTQ Host Home Program in Chicago. After four years of planning, the host home program will finally be making its debut in September with the placement of two LGBTQ youth into two “host homes,” where the youths will be hosted for a minimum of one year.

Ms. Wade gave us some background about the great need for this type of program in Chicago. For example, she informed us that according to a 2009 University of Illinois Chicago Study, 25,000 young people experienced homelessness in that year; 2,000 of these youth were in Chicago, a city which has only 193 youth beds. This issue is of special interest to the LGBTQ community because so many children who leave home or who are forced to leave home do so for reasons related to coming out (fears about or negative reactions to), or related to generally being LGBTQ in a home that might not be supportive or accepting of it. In fact, a recent study from the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force said that as many as 20-42% of homeless youth self-identify as LGBTQ.

After looking at housing models across the country, the idea of “host homes” was chosen for the UCAN LGBTQ Host Home Program in Chicago, as the outcomes have been phenomenal in other cities, with 50% of young people who go through host homes staying in touch with their host families even years after they have moved out. Ms. Wade emphasized that the philosophy behind all of this, plain and simple, is that it is our job as adults to create safe spaces for young people. She also emphasized the uniqueness of the UCAN Host Home Program’s approach, which is multi-generational, multi-racial and strives to foster support for young people and reduce harm. The goal of the program, ultimately, is to provide a transition for homeless youth to a life of independence.

In a follow up email, Ms. Wade offered further information about the two youth who have been selected so far. She wrote:

One home includes a youth that is a full time student in college with a part-time job. He has been couch surfing for the past three years while maintaining his school and work positions. He wants “a stable environment with a caring adult” to take his next steps as he gains self-sufficiency and works towards becoming a healthy, happy gay man. He is being housed by a fabulous woman in the East Village – who is a pivotal member of her church community and proud mother of a lesbian.
The second home includes a youth that is in a GED program and has a part-time job. She is highly motivated to not only complete her GED, but also begin college – with the dreams of becoming a business person and artist. She was kicked out of her home because she is a lesbian and has been couch surfing with friends. In her words, “If I can get into this program I know that nothing is impossible for me to achieve!” She is being housed by a lesbian couple in Roger’s Park – that realized they had an extra bedroom and wanted to give back to the LGBT community by being a part of this intergenerational program.

It is UCAN’s hope that ten host homes will be secured by this summer, and there are four youths already waiting for homes right now. For more information about this program and how you can help, please visit http://www.ucanchicago.org/site/epage/84472_682.htm