When Finn was 18, he was kicked out of his Maple Ridge, B.C., home. He made his way to the nearest big city, Vancouver, in hopes of finding support, but instead often found himself on the streets with nowhere to go.

Finn, whose name was changed for this article, is now 24 and living on his own in Vancouver thanks to a homeless initiative called Housing First. But before that, he spent many years living a transient lifestyle, staying wherever he could, and encountering hostility along the way.

"In most situations, it's not really safe to be queer," he said.

Finn is a transgender man: He was born biologically female, but identifies as male. He said there's no place for him at most homeless shelters, which are segregated by gender.

At a halfway house, Finn hid his gender identity from the other residents, instead identifying as lesbian.

"One man told me, 'Oh you're gay. That's really sad. I would have given you a good boinking,'" he said.

Finn's story is not unusual. When it comes to Canada's shelter system, those most likely to need safe haven are also the least likely to find it. While lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Canadians make up just 5-10% of the population, they account for 25-50% of homeless youth, according to the University of Toronto paper No Place To Go, published by the University of Alberta.

Many, like Finn, end up on the streets because they're not welcome at home, Elizabeth Saewyc, a University of British Columbia professor who studies street-involved youth, said.

"Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth may be leaving home because it's not a safe place to be, but once they're on the street and they're homeless, it's not any safer," she said.

Abuse and assault often follows these kids from the street to the shelter system — if a shelter will take them at all.

According to the Homeless Hub at York University, one in three transgender youth will be rejected by a shelter.

The Vancouver Rape Relief & Women's Shelter has come under fire for not offering its services to transgender women.

"The core service we offer to women is peer counselling ... that is based on our own life experiences as women, being born and raised female in the world," spokeswoman Hilla Kerner said.

"This is not to say that other people and transgender people are not experiencing violence and not experiencing male violence. They deserve to have good supportive services and safe spaces, of course, it goes without saying."

The transition House Association of Nova Scotia (THANS) accepts transgender women as a matter of policy at its 13 battered-women's shelters. In some cases, THANS will also house transgender men who don't feel safe in men's shelters.

In her 25 years working in the shelter system, THANS co-ordinator Pamela Harrison says transgender people are "some of the most vulnerable" she's ever met.

"Many have lost their family, lost their friends, their entire support networks," she said.

But even with a trans-friendly policy and well-trained staff, housing transgender people is still a challenge.

"People, either out of ignorance or misdirected anger, might say something to a transgender person that we find inappropriate. What do we do with a vulnerable woman who is not safe when she is saying or doing things that makes another woman really uncomfortable?" she said.

Kerner and Harrison agree on the need for shelters specifically for LGBT people, but know that's also easier said than done. Shelters and transitional houses are mostly funded by cash-strapped governments, topped off with charitable donations. And most would argue they're already underfunded.

"We have to have these discussions with governments and say the needs have changed and vulnerable populations have changed," Harrison said.

In Vancouver, Rain City Housing is raising funds to launch a two-year LGBT youth housing pilot project — a first of its kind in Canada.

Rain City's Aaron Munro said the project will connect youth to the specific support they need. And, he said, it will be a learning opportunity.

"Who are these young people we're going to meet? What are they going to teach us? We're going to listen to them."

Finn said had something like this existed when he was on the streets, it would have helped him tremendously. "I think it's a fantastic idea," he said. "I'm really excited about it and I hope the funding happens."