There's no place like home? The experiences of unstably housed transgender and gender non-conforming young people

The purpose of this project is to expand knowledge about the lived experience of unstably housed transgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) young people in order to inform programs and policies meant to address their needs and to contribute to the broader conversation regarding gender identity. Specifically, this project will generate new knowledge on the subject of housing instability among TGNC young people through an analysis of the youth's spoken and visual narratives about the meaning they assign to their gender identity and their experiences of housing instability.;The goals of this exploratory project are: 1) to document the meaning and significance of gender identity/expression for unstably housed TGNC young people, 2) to examine the interplay between gender identity and the experience of housing instability among TGNC young people, with particular attention to the role that stability/instability plays in the reconfiguration of identity among TGNC young people. The knowledge gained from this project has the potential to inform social work practice on multiple levels, including program development, clinical and public policy interventions, and the broader discourse regarding what it means to be transgender or gender non-conforming as well as the shifting definition and impact of homelessness.;The data collection methods employed in this qualitative inquiry include semi-structured interviews and the visual method of mapping with TGNC young people who have experienced housing instability. NVivo9 was utilized for data management and storage. The heuristic process of phenomenological inquiry guided analysis.;The sample included 27 self-identified TGNC young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who have experienced housing instability within the past 18 months, but who are not currently without shelter at the time of the interview. The sample includes young people who identify as transgender men and women, in addition to those who do not identify as transgender but whose gender identity and expression are self-identified as different from traditional gender norms. Participants were recruited via study announcements posted in community spaces where LGBTQ young people congregate.