Women’s Rough Sleeping Census
Working together to better understand the needs of women experiencing homelessness.
Women are under-represented in rough sleeping statistics and services, yet research, lived experience and the experiences of services tell us that women are some of the most vulnerable within the rough sleeping population.
The Women’s Rough Sleeping Census is a partnership project led by Solace Women’s Aid, The Connection at St Martins, SHP, and St Mungo’s, and is supported by the GLA, London Councils and the Life Off the Streets Core Group.
October 2022 saw the first London Women’s Rough Sleeping Census take place and the second census was undertaken in October 2023. The main method is a survey undertaken over one week by a range of homelessness sector professionals and volunteers. The approach is designed to ensure that women who are often hidden are identified; for example, by doing the survey during the daytime when people who are hidden at nighttime come into homelessness day centres, and by ensuring that quieter areas are covered in nighttime census shifts.
The results of the first census revealed:
Women seek shelter in many hidden locations including hospital toilets, disused garages, squatting, and on public transport. Some sleep rough some of the time but stay with people or in hostels and in emergency accommodation at other times.
While many women do access homelessness services, some women who had rough slept regularly in London in the last three months reported accessing no services at all.
Only a small proportion of the women reported accessing women’s centres, domestic and sexual violence services, health services, and drug and alcohol services, despite the evidence of these experiences being common for women who sleep rough.
The first census provided useful data to shape the response to women’s rough sleeping and strengthen the evidence base around this issue. It demonstrated that using more flexible methods of identifying people who are rough sleeping, highlights unmet needs.
Analysis of data from the most recent census is currently being undertaken and will be used by organisations working to support women across London.
Find out more about women’s homelessness in London in ‘A strategy to end women’s homelessness in London’ and the accompanying evidence report.