LGBT homeless youth find shelter with RainCity Housing

LGBT teenagers face a number of challenges, but they also face a very real risk of ending up on the street.

Research shows that they are more likely to end up homeless than their heterosexual counterparts.

"We live in a society where homophobia and transphobia have been really prevalent, and prevalent enough that it causes issues between people's parents and themselves," LGBT activist Aaron Munro told Our Vancouver hostGloria Macarenko.

Munro is one of the community managers for RainCity Housing, which started as an emergency shelter in 1982 and now provides shelter and support for almost 900 people in the Lower Mainland.

Munro said RainCity Housing has recognized the need for programs to specifically target and support homeless LGBTyouth, since many shelters are not equipped to deal with a young person's sexual or gender identity needs.

To hear more about the support that RainCity Housing is providing for LGBT youth, watch Munro's interview with Gloria Macarenko in the video above.