Thank You!
You continue to make this all possible
It’s been a difficult, yet inspiring year at the Task Force. We’ve seen a 50% increase in LGBTQ asylum seekers reaching out to us for support - many even, for various reasons, just showing up unannounced. This has strained our already limited financial and people-powered resources, but the community has stepped up to help keep us going. They’ve donated their skills to help rewire our homes, given driving lessons, helped with job searches, hosted peer support groups, given rides to appointments, researched funding opportunities and leveraged their privileges to direct funding and publicity our way, served on committees, housed asylum seekers, hosted fundraisers, offered jobs, and just as importantly, been a listening ear, so that folks can feel seen as they navigate this long and often lonely journey.
Thank you!
Housing Requests (2023-2024)
We have seen a steady increase in the number of folks reaching out to us for housing support. This need has outweighed our capacity to provide direct housing. However, we have answered every request and have been able to direct folks to temporary housing options nationwide, while they await a more suitable spot in our housing.
Annual Housing Requests
During the pandemic, we saw a doubling of the number of LGBTQ asylum seekers requesting housing. This has placed a strain on our available resources — housing and financial. To mitigate against these effects, we have been creative in identifying temporary accommodations and making investments toward reducing our monthly expenses in certain key areas. We have also made an effort to increase our visibility and garner more support from folks like you.
Top Countries of Origin (2024)
Self-identification (2024)
Historically, we have received the most requests for housing and connection to resources from LGBTQ asylum seekers from either Jamaica or Uganda. While conditions for LGBTQ people continue to be horrible in approximately 70 countries, there are established networks in both of these countries that list the Task Force as a possible source of assistance through the asylum process.
Congruent with the increase in the number of asylum seekers that we have directly housed is the tripling of our average monthly expenses over the past six years. It currently costs us over $50,000 per month to provide housing and other support to LGBTQ asylum seekers. This averages out to $1,400 per person per month. We have been able to reduce our monthly expenses through strategic steps towards greater efficiency and sustainability in all that we do.
Monthly Expenses
Individual Donors
Number of Donations
During the same time that we were experiencing a doubling of LGBTQ asylum seekers contacting us for help, there was a reduction in the total number of individual donors and donations. Despite our strained finances, we connected each asylum seeker to needed resources and maintained our 100% asylum grant, stable housing, and employment rates.
In 2023, we strategically increased our outreach efforts, which bore fruit in the significant increase in the total number of donors and donations we received. However, have seen a 20% reduction in those figures this year. Much more is needed in order for us to have the capacity to support the continued increase in requests for support. We appreciate any help that you can provide to further this goal.