Exploring Social Capital within the Social Networks of LGBTQ+ Young Adults Experiencing Homelessness: A Mixed Methods Approach

Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) young adults are overrepresented among young adults experiencing homelessness (YAEH). Nevertheless, LGBTQ+ YAEH are less likely to utilize homeless services than their non-LGBTQ+ peers, turning instead toward their social networks for support. Formal homeless services–which for many YAEH provide a crucial first step for exiting homelessness–are not always accessible to LGBTQ+ young adults, and may be insufficiently attentive to the psychosocial needs and experiences of trauma particular to this subgroup. This mixed methods study examines how sources of social capital, or the resources and benefits made available through one’s social connections, fill the gaps as LGBTQ+ YAEH navigate homelessness. The following research questions guided this study: 1) Who do LGBTQ+ YAEH (age 18-26) depend on, and why? and 2) What types of social capital are made available through these social networks?

Methods: Study participants include YAEH who participated in a 7-city cross-sectional study, which employed the Homeless Youth Risk and Resilience Survey (HYRRS). The social capital framework guided the selection of study variables including social ties and types of social capital as outcome variables and LGBTQ+ status as a potential correlate. Analyses included chi-square tests on LGBTQ+ (n=425) and non-LGBTQ+ (n=959) samples, as well as thematic analysis of qualitative interviews collected from a subset of survey participants. Preliminary chi-square statistics and thematic analysis will be expanded upon in the presentation of this study.

Results: Significant chi-square tests indicated that more LGBTQ+ YAEH, compared to non-LGBTQ+ YAEH, reported having a romantic partner (42.59% vs. 31.07%) and a street-based friend (39.53% vs. 33.37%) in their core social network but were less likely to have a relative in their network (65.18% vs. 71.12%). There was no significant difference in the number of home-based peers between these two groups, with over 60% in both groups reporting no home-based friends in their network.

Non-LGBTQ+ YAEH were less likely than their LGBTQ+ peers to receive monetary support (43.59% vs. 35.53%), service information (44.73% vs. 39.76%), social support (23.04% vs. 18.12%), and advice (33.06% vs. 24.24%) from their networks.

Thematic analysis of interviews confirmed and expanded upon these quantitative findings about who YAEH rely on, how they use social capital to survive, and why many LGBTQ+ YAEH prefer their social networks to formal homeless services.

Conclusions: Lower levels of monetary support and other forms of social capital among non-LGBTQ+ YAEH do not necessarily mean that this group is less connected to resources, but may be the result of being better connected to family and homeless services. Given that LGBTQ+ YAEH are less likely than non-LGBTQ+ peers to utilize institutional services or have family members in their social networks, LGBTQ+ YAEH disproportionately depend on informal street-based networks to meet physical and emotional needs. This study provides a critical entrypoint for developing policy and service delivery methods that learn from the informal networks of LGBTQ+ YAEH to better serve this population.