PRISM AWARDS 2023

When choosing a home, 94% of LGBTQ+ homebuyers value a safe area, with a lack of harassment and violence, according to a 2020-21 report by the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP). Nearly the same percentage, 95%, of homebuyers overall also listed a safe area as a reason for choosing a home, according to the same report.

The rest of the numbers in this report and many others in recent years tell a far different story, a story that LGBTQ discrimination in real estate remains a problem, members of the LGBTQ community are less likely to be homeowners, and neighbors who are accepting are key to feeling welcome in a new place.

For example, Realtor.com and LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance surveyed 1,538 LGBTQ community members in May 2021, finding that 49% of respondents owned their primary residence, compared to about 66% of the general population. This number was even lower among transgender (35%), Black (29%) and Latinx (41%) community members. While there are many factors that contribute to this homeownership rate, economic and other forms of discrimination can discourage homeownership, the report said.

A survey of LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance members, published on thebalancemoney. com in January, found that nearly 20% of respondents have experienced high levels of