Nedeleyn Helena Diaz: Housing instability and LGBTQ+ youth

Good morning, but it's not morning.

Good afternoon, chair and members of the council.

My name is Nedeleyn Helena Diaz, and I am the co-chair of the New York City YAB Youth Action Board and an outreach specialist with Housing Works LGBTQ+.

Housing assistance program.

Through my work with Housing Works, I connect LGBTQ individuals experiencing homelessness or housing instability with housing resource, supportive services, and pathways to stability.

In my outreach, I've met many young people who have been rejected by their families, forced to leave their homes, or left without a safe place to go simply because of who they are.

I have worked with youth sleeping on friends'couches, cycling through shelters, or trying to survive without any support system.

The emotional toll of rejection, discrimination, and housing instability is something no young person should have to endure.

Unfortunately, these stories are far too common.

According to the research from the Trevor Project, 28% of LGBTQ plus youth have experienced homelessness or housing instability.

Among youth,

who were kicked out of their homes, 40% said it was because of their LGBTQ identity.

More than half of those who ran away reported doing so because of mistreatment or fear of mistreatment related to their identity.

These experiences have lasting consequences.

LGBTQ,

Youth experiencing homelessness or housing instability were found to have two to four times greater odds of reporting depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide attempts compared to those with stable housing.

That is why I support the coalition's call for a $15 million LGBTQIA plus immigration fund.

Many LGBTQIA plus immigrants face compounded barriers, including housing instability, legal insecurity, language barriers, and difficulty assessing

affirming services.

I also support the 10 million supports for persons involved in the sex trade.

Housing is more than shelter.

It is safety, opportunity, and hope.

I urge the council to continue investing in solutions that ensure every New Yorker has access to safe and stable housing.

Thank you for your time and the opportunity to testify.

Thank you folks for coming in to testify today.

You are now excused from the dais.

Thank you so much.

We have no questions.

I would like to call up the following folks to testify.

I'm trying my best to read these cards, folks.

Asher Blachany, I can't see the last couple letters, apologies.

Brian J.

Ellicott-Cook, Nadia Swanson, Eva Jacro, and Ethan Lowe.

Is there an Asher present?

Is there an Asher on the dais?

Okay, so Brian, you can begin.