“It was such a rude awakening because I was one of those people who believed that about the stereotypes of homeless people, and then here I was, one of them,” Giafaglione said.“One of the benefits is you typically get a lot of lived experience staff whether it’s just LGBT or mental health or homelessness also because it affects our community so much,” Giafaglione said. “But one of the main things is that it takes out is not having to navigate who’s an ally.
The San Diego Housing Commission has picked The LGBT Center to run a homeless shelter for LGBTQ+ youth in the area. The LGBT Center’s Director of Housing and Youth Homeless Services told ABC 10News this will be a benefit to help homeless LGBTQ+ youth get connected to resources and off the street.