LGBTQ Housing Justice

Equality Foundation of Georgia’s housing advocacy work addresses both immediate crises and long-term systemic change. At the state level, we’re fighting for housing protections based on sexual orientation, gender identity, and HIV status, safeguards that many other states already provide. We’re working to protect and increase funding for housing and support services that will help LGBTQ people and people living with HIV access housing and remain housed long-term. And we’re also advocating to strengthen tenant protections for everyone through measures like lifting the ban on rental registries, ending exploitative junk fees, reining in corporate ownership and AI-driven price-fixing, and strengthening enforcement of housing habitability standards.

At the local level, our advocacy focuses on policy changes that can create immediate impact. We’re pushing for nondiscrimination ordinances that cover housing. We’re encouraging local investment from cities and counties, from local housing trust funds to HIV housing initiatives. We’re monitoring local actions with LGBTQ equity in mind, making sure that policies uplift all communities. And we’re advocating for effective coordination of HIV housing strategies through programs like HOPWA (Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS) and Ryan White, with a focus on data-driven solutions, transparency, and genuine responsiveness to community needs.

This work matters because housing instability doesn’t just mean lacking shelter—it cascades into every aspect of life. Without stable housing, people living with HIV struggle to maintain consistent medication adherence and attend healthcare appointments. LGBTQ youth aging out of foster care or fleeing rejection face heightened vulnerability to exploitation and violence. LGBTQ seniors find few affirming long-term care options. And all LGBTQ Georgians navigating housing insecurity face barriers to employment, education, mental health, and community connection. By centering the voices of those most impacted, building coalitions across movements, and persistently showing up in policy spaces from the State Capitol to county commissions, Equality Foundation of Georgia is working to ensure that Georgia’s response to the housing crisis serves all residents, because none of us can be truly free without a safe place to call home.