Two resolutions by the European Parliament within the space of six weeks have called for more research into the rates and causes of women’s homelessness. The first resolution, from 14 April 2016, on Meeting the antipoverty target in light of increasing household costs, states that:
“with rising household costs being a key driver of women’s homelessness”
The second resolution, 26 May 2016, on Poverty: a gender perspective, reasserted the need to “undertake
research into female homelessness and its causes and drivers, as :
“the phenomenon is inadequately captured in current data.”
Women’s homelessness, especially in younger women, is steadily increasing.
Whilst figures show that in most countries, women make up at least one quarter of the homeless population, the numbers are in fact likely to be much higher.
This is because women often engage in coping strategies such as sofa surfing, returning to an abusive relationship or sleeping rough in parks and stations in order to avoid presenting at homeless services or sleeping rough in more prominent spaces, where they may be more at risk of violence or harassment.
Women often become victims by suffering from
‘hidden homelessness,’
which results in women’s homelessness being excluded from policy development.
The European Commission shows true commitment to this issue by funding research into both the structural inequalities women face ..… more