Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Dalia A. on LGBTQ youth homelessness
1:26:40
ยท
87 sec
Dalia A. testifies about the crisis of LGBTQ youth homelessness in New York City. She shares personal experiences and statistics highlighting the disproportionate rates of homelessness, suicide attempts, and shelter discrimination faced by LGBTQ youth.
- Calls for increased awareness of LGBTQ youth homelessness in NYC
- Emphasizes the need for increased funding for homelessness prevention programs
- Advocates for policies to expand opportunities for homeless youth in education, healthcare, and housing
Dalia A.
1:26:40
LGBTQ youth make about forty percent of homeless youth, a disproportionate number considering their size in the general population.
1:26:47
My name is Dahlia Abrams and I'm a part of that 40%.
1:26:50
From 2018 to 2022, '40 '8 anti transgender laws were enacted in The US alone, increasing suicide attempts among LGBTQ youth as much as seventy two percent.
1:27:00
I'm also a part of that percentage.
1:27:02
In New York City alone, forty one percent of LGBTQ youth seriously considered suicide in 2022 with twelve attempting it.
1:27:09
Fifty percent of queer and homeless youth are turned away from shelters due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.
1:27:15
The numbers are real and they are rapidly increasing.
1:27:18
I live at a shelter and my staff can barely give us sustainable meals with all of our dietary needs.
1:27:23
As someone who has been turned away by shelters from simply being different, I know how painful it is to be rejected for something as basic as who you love and how you identify.
1:27:31
It feels like you're being ignored even after telling people who you were countless times.
1:27:34
It is time we bring more awareness of the LGBTQ youth homelessness crisis in New York City, but homelessness and mental health struggles aren't isolated issues.
1:27:41
They are deeply rooted in systemic inequality such as lack of affordable housing.
1:27:45
We need the New York City government to increase funding for homelessness prevention programs and our policies that expand opportunities for homeless youth in education, healthcare, and housing.
1:27:55
We can no longer let this issue persist without action and anything.
1:27:59
The real problem isn't these youth, is the support and understanding that they've it's a lack of the support and understanding that they face.
1:28:05
Please let us work together to fix this.