Women's Rough Sleeping Census Expands Across England

#MakeWomenCount Leeds & Sheffield where I am conducting my research into the healthcare needs & preferences of female rough sleepers both conduct the Women's Rough Sleeping Census. Many Local Authorities only use the official Autumn Count which uses a methodology which overlooks sex differences in rough sleeping, leaving women uncounted. Why does it matter? Because funding to reduce rough sleeeping is often based on official government figures, meaning female rough sleepers miss out on vital support.

Women experiencing rough sleeping are too often missing from official figures, and the findings from the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census show just how much is being overlooked.   Changing Lives is contributing to this year’s Census, drawing on our work supporting women experiencing homelessness to help build a fuller picture of their experiences.   We’re supporting the call for the Government to fund and roll out the Census across England from 2027, ensuring women are properly counted and the support they need is in place #MakeWomenCount

An important reminder that homelessness isn’t always visible. Women sleeping rough often take extraordinary measures to stay safe, which can mean they are hidden from view and, as a result, from the services and support they need. The Women’s Rough Sleeping Census is such an important piece of work in helping to build a more accurate picture of women’s homelessness and ensuring that no one is overlooked.

Tomorrow at 4am, the annual Rough Sleeper Count will take place across the UK. The data gathered provides an important snapshot of the number of people sleeping rough on any given night. But as many frontline services know, the reality is often more complex, particularly when it comes to women experiencing homelessness. This morning, I had the opportunity to meet with Emily Williams from St Mungo's , Ellie Jones from The Nelson Trust, and Vicki Burn from Shelter to learn more about the Women's Census and the vital role it plays in helping us better understand women's experiences of homelessness. In the next week we will share more on: • What the Women's Census is • Why it matters so much • How it works in practice • How those of us working across the sector can support and get involved Watch this space.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐤 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐨. Women experiencing rough sleeping are still too often underrepresented in official #homelessness figures. Many women stay out of sight to stay safe, spending the night on buses, in A&E waiting rooms, walking through the night or staying with strangers rather than sleeping visibly on the street. That means traditional approaches to counting rough sleeping can miss them, and without the full picture, it’s harder to make sure services and support reflect women’s needs. That’s why, this week, more than 115 local authorities are taking part in the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census, using a gender-informed approach to build a better understanding of women’s rough sleeping. But participation is still voluntary, with no dedicated national funding. We, alongside our partners Solace Women's Aid, Crisis, Change Grow Live and over 50 incredible organisations, are calling on the Government to fund and roll out the Census across England from 2027. The Government has committed to offering everyone sleeping rough a route off the streets by Christmas. To make “Everyone In” mean EVERYONE, we need to make women count. #WomensRoughSleepingCensus #HomelessnessAwareness #HousingCrisis #MakeWomenCount

The Women's Rough Sleeping Census is an hugely important initiative taking place this week: follow Single Homeless Project to learn more. Rough sleeping can be especially dangerous for women. So to stay safe, women often spend the night in places out of sight - meaning they are missed by traditional rough sleeping counts. A huge thank you to Single Homeless Project, and dozens of Homeless Link members in towns and cities across the country, who are conducting Women's Rough Sleeping Census' to address this right now 🤝 They are building a better understanding how and where women sleep rough, so they can better resolve and prevent female rough sleeping. Listen to Lucy Campbell from Single Homeless Project speak to our Going Beyond podcast about this census in 2025: https://lnkd.in/eDWSRUUk

We’re proud to be helping lead the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census across the North-East, this coming week. Women’s homelessness can be incredibly difficult to see. As Alex Laing our Head of Crisis Services and Women’s Rough Sleeping Census Lead for Gateshead and Sunderland, explains: “Women’s homelessness can be incredibly difficult to see. A woman might spend the night walking around because she doesn’t feel safe sleeping on the streets ... That’s why this census matters so much. "We want to find the women who are too often hidden, listen to their experiences and use what we learn to make sure the right support, accommodation and funding is there for them.” Working as part of the Women’s Homelessness Alliance, teams will be out carrying out outreach throughout the week – including early mornings, afternoons and evenings – to help build a clearer picture of women’s homelessness across the North East. Last year’s census found up to 10 times more women sleeping rough than official counts identified. This year’s census is an opportunity to build on the work that began last year. Ensuring services understand the true scale and nature of women’s homelessness – and that women’s experiences are reflected in decisions about homelessness services, funding and support moving forward. Read more 👉 https://lnkd.in/efCHqX7A #HopeNotHomelessness #WomensHomelessness #RoughSleeping

Too often, women's experiences of homelessness remain hidden. That's why Launchpad is taking part in the Women's Rough Sleeping Census, helping ensure that women with recent experience of having nowhere safe to stay can have their voices heard. The information gathered will contribute to research led by Women's Rough Sleeping Census organisers Single Homeless Project and Solace, helping advocate for improved support and services for women experiencing homelessness. Read more - https://lnkd.in/eaV8tG-f #HomelessnessAwareness #WomenAndHomelessness #LaunchpadReading #ReadingUK #WomenCount

Next week is the Bristol Women's Rough Sleeping Census, and I'm delighted to share this fantastic video created by Housing Matters to help promote it (thank you Alice Tibbert). This is the 3rd year we've delivered the census, and while the week itself is hugely important, what people don't always see is the massive amount of work that goes into making it happen. Months of planning sit behind it, from recruiting volunteers for outreach and drop in shifts, promoting the census accros the city, gathering lived experience feedback to shape the approach, securing funding for vouchers, preparing care packs and resources to coordinating partners and services. It's a lot!!! This year we're really pleased to have been joined by Bristol Hospitality Network and Ara Recovery For All as part of the planning team. As the census develops, we're continually looking at how we can reach more women from marginalised communities and better understand women's experiences of disclosing that they have nowhere safe to stay. I want to recognise the incredible women who make this work possible! Emily Williams and Lauren Cherry at St Mungos, Vicki Burn at Shelter, Kerry Williams at BCC, Ellie Jones at The Nelson Trust, Natalia Nunez at ARA, and Laura Chester at Bristol Hospitality Network. I love our Friday morning planning meetings, where we talk through actions, challenges and logistics. But we also check in with each other, share the realities of our working weeks, laugh (until we cry), and offer support. The census is built on strong partnerships, but it's also built on relationships, trust and a shared commitment to ensuring women's experiences are seen and understood. Good luck to everyone involved next week! We're grateful to every volunteer, partner and woman who chooses to take part and share her experience with us.