President Joe Biden’s Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) announced an initiative to combat youth LGBTQ homelessness Thursday.
“This Pride Month, the Biden-Harris Administration is illustrating our commitment to advancing equity in all forms and taking steps to ensure that our LGBTQI+ youth have the resources to find safe, supportive and affordable housing in their communities,” Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia L. Fudge said in a press release Thursday.
Prioritizing LGBTQ issues has been a focus of the Biden administration, especially in June. The press release said that “nearly 40 percent of all youth experiencing homelessness identify as LGBTQI+” and that the “disparities are especially pronounced for transgender youth and other Black and brown LGBTQI+ youth,” two factors that prompted the White House’s initiative. (Related: ‘Devastating’: How The Drug Crisis Is Hurting America’s Youngest People)
Shocking video recorded at Kensington & Allegheny Ave. in Philadelphia, Penn. shows a group of homeless people slumped over while high. pic.twitter.com/F8wQIO8La6
— Andy Ngô 🏳️🌈 (@MrAndyNgo) June 1, 2023
The initiative is part of his broader House America policy that aims to “place over 100,000 households from homelessness into permanent housing and add over 40,000 units of affordable housing into the development pipeline,” according to the press release.
Biden’s positions during his time as a United States Senator differ from his current position. He voted for the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 and once stated “(homosexuals) are security risks but I must admit I haven’t given this much thought … I’ll be darned,” according to the Morning News.