Ty Pride leading the way in Wales

Over the Pride weekend, 60+ Llamau staff, joined by the young people we support, marched in the streets of Cardiff, celebrating love, acceptance and inclusion.

Pride month is very important to all of us here at Llamau and we wanted to take this opportunity to share a bit about our Ty Pride project…

Tŷ Pride is a specialist LGBTQ+ project, staffed 24 hours a day, supporting young LGBTQ+ people who are experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness.  It is the first provision of its kind in Wales.

The need for such a scheme was identified in the 2019 End Youth Homelessness Cymru (EYHC)’s report ‘Out on the Streets: LGBTQ+ Youth Homelessness in Wales’, which consulted with young people and organisations working within the sector.  The report found that young LGBTQ+ people tend to become homeless primarily due to their family’s rejection of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity. The report also highlighted that although LGBTQ+ people are disproportionately overrepresented in the wider homeless population - being 4 times more likely to experience homelessness, their needs are not well understood by services, nor adequately addressed; with young people reporting rejection, isolation and stigmatisation. As a result, these factors, directly or indirectly, contribute to their increased risk of experiencing homelessness and poor mental health.

The project runs as a partnership between Llamau, Denbighshire Council, and Viva LGBTQ+, a specialist team from the West Rhyl Young People’s Project charity. The scheme is currently funded by the Welsh Government’s Innovation fund.

In Llamau, we are proud that the project has brought safety, hope and a fresh start to the lives of young LGBTQ+ people. The project has received numerous accolades from organisations across Europe, such as FEANTSA (Belgium) and from North America by True Colours United in New York Llamau is recognised as a trailblazer not only in the provision of Ty Pride, but also in championing LGBTQ+ rights within the Homeless Sector.

Tŷ Pride has received over 50 referrals from across Wales. This level of demand, along with the 2019 EYHC report findings, highlight the need for similar partnerships to develop across other parts of Wales.

All the young people involved who have been supported at Ty Pride have either gone on to live independently or have gone back to live with their families.

‘We are pleased to say that following support at Tŷ Pride, none of the young people have presented back into the Homeless Team. This positive outcome does not always happen in many supported housing projects. If we found there was a concern for a young person and their situation was not working at Tŷ Pride, then we would come, together to find a solution that would ensure that young person would not end up back in temporary accommodation.
Ty Pride Representative – from the ‘3 years on’ report

Ty Pride is Wales’ flagship project for homeless LGBTQ+ youth but the need for similar centres and specialist support is clear. We hope that Ty Pride is the first of many centres in Wales.