Are Homelessness Women Even Safe?

As of 2015, there were about 565,000 homeless people living in the United States on any given night. It’s estimated that women comprise a little under 40% of that population. But that number may shift. Women and families are the fastest growing segment of the homeless population, with 85% of homeless families headed by single women.

Though homelessness is not only a women’s issue, there are some issues only homeless women have to navigate, which deserve our attention and action.One of those issues is that 1 in 4 women consider domestic violence to be the main factor in their current homelessness.

For many women, the immediate impacts of domestic violence are a major contributor to unstable housing. It’s estimated that about 63% of the sheltered homeless population are survivors of domestic violence, with 1 in 4 homeless women reporting domestic violence the main factor in their current homelessness.

Women, especially stay at home mothers who are out of the workforce and rely on their abusive partners financially, are especially at risk for unstable housing after leaving an abusive relationship. Notably, some women, fearing homelessness, stay in dangerous relationships to avoid the hardships of unstable housing.

Homeless women don’t only have to deal with financial stress, but they also have to deal with concerns for their personal safety. Not having a home often means sleeping in shelters, many of which are male dominated, given that the majority of homeless populations are male.

Many women report they have felt unsafe in shelters, or are survivors of gendered trauma stemming from stays in shelters. And life on the streets, especially in major cities, doesn’t provide more safety by any means.

Homeless women have shared harrowing accounts of being sexually assaulted in showers at general intake shelters, and avoiding public restrooms late at night in fear of harassment or abuse. Women also rarely panhandle, often fearing doing so will make them a target for gender-based crime and violence.

What you can do to help: Since domestic violence and homelessness are so closely tied, donating to or volunteering at a domestic violence shelter near you is guaranteed to help women affected at the intersection of both issues. National organizations like the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and The National Domestic Violence Hotline also assist both homeless and housed women experiencing domestic violence and abuse. Support women-specific shelters providing a safe space for women who may not feel safe in the majority of all-gender shelters by donating or volunteering.

This entry is licensed under a Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication license.