Ten times more women sleeping rough than Government counts

More than ten times as many women are sleeping rough than are identified through Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) reports, according to new research from charities Solace and Single Homeless Project.
The charities, alongside Crisis and Change Grow Live, have published their third annual Women’s Rough Sleeping Census report, How Do We Sleep at Night? Conducted across 88 local authorities, it uses more thorough and accurate ways to count women sleeping rough – methods that better reflect the true scale and realities of how women experience rough sleeping across England, such as the near-universal experiences of domestic abuse and VAWG (violence against women and girls).
In London, the number of women counted in the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census survey is almost double that counted by the snapshot. Outside London, the survey identified over four times the number counted in the snapshot.
The findings of the census demonstrate that women’s homelessness is compounded by systemic neglect, with policies, funding, data collection methods and services failing to adequately recognise and respond to women’s experiences because they are designed for men.
The report recommends that the Government develops a specific chapter on women’s homelessness, as part of their cross-government homelessness strategy, that addresses five points:
Five asks of Government:
1. Recognise women’s homelessness: Adopt a gender-informed definition of rough sleeping that reflects women’s hidden, transient and intermittent experiences.
2. Improve the data: Give councils the tools, resources, and guidance they need to collect accurate, inclusive data on women sleeping rough.
3. Fund safe services: Ensure homelessness services are accessible, safe, and equitable for women – backed by the funding to make this possible.
4. Join the dots: Develop joined-up strategies across departments, including the upcoming VAWG Strategy, so women can get housing and support wherever they turn.
5. Act earlier: Invest in prevention and early intervention so women can avoid homelessness or get help the moment they need it.

Rebecca Goshawk, Solace Director of Business Development, said: “Women sleeping rough are at risk of violence, sexual assault and robbery at astronomically higher levels than men. This is why women are far less likely to ‘bed down’ for the night, opting instead to ride public transport, sleep during the day or sit in A&E departments to try to stay safe. The census shows that Government data and services don’t know these women exist, and so how can they possibly provide them with the support that they need?”