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Leeds Women's Rough Sleeping Census

Leeds Women's Rough Sleeping Census

Leeds Women's Rough Sleeping Census

Friday, March 21, 2025

Basis Yorkshire facilitate the Leeds Women’s Homelessness and Housing Frontline Network, a thematic network that furthers insights and understanding of women’s experiences of homelessness. Through this work, they have contributed to the 2024 Leeds Women's Rough Sleeping Census. This vital piece of work sheds a light on the reality of women's experiences of homelessness and rough sleeping - an issue that can be overlooked, due to women's experiences of homelessness often being "hidden". Below is a blog from Basis Yorkshire on the launch of the census. 

“There aren’t enough services for women, and women need more protection, especially those who may not be able to look after themselves.” - a woman surveyed as part of the Leeds Women’s Rough Sleeping Census Report 2024.

Read the full Women’s Rough Sleeping Census Report 2024 here.

In September 2024, a large number of frontline workers from different Leeds based organisations took part in the 2nd Leeds Women’s Rough Sleeping Census, facilitated and coordinated by Basis Yorkshire. The Women’s Rough Sleeping Census Report aims to combat ‘hidden’ homelessness by bringing visibility to the experiences of women who rough sleep, establish their circumstances and identify where women rough sleep so relevant services can tailor their support for these women. 

Women (including those who access Basis Yorkshire) are often excluded from official statistics because they do not always fit the Government definition of rough sleeping; instead walking around all night, staying with a stranger, sleeping in 24/7 locations, such as A&E, bus stations or McDonalds.  The Rough Sleeping Census is therefore based on a more gender informed, wider definition to gather specific evidence of women’s experiences of rough sleeping. 

“Women are more vulnerable on the street, women aren’t as much heard as men are” - a woman surveyed as part of the Leeds Women’s Rough Sleeping Census Report 2024. 

Surveying over 70 women over the course of a week, we found overall patterns of transient and intermittent rough sleeping among women who rough sleep remaining. The 2024 Leeds Census was able to reach a wider diversity of women, including those of a younger age and different ethnicities whose experiences are vital to include, although those surveyed from ethnic minorities remain a relatively low percentage.  Frontline staff also reflected on their experiences of supporting women who rough sleep to further inform findings of this year’s Census.

This year’s data identified some positive improvements in service access including supported housing and hostels and a continued high number of services accessed (majority 3 or more). There also appears to be a slight positive shift in the frequency of rough sleeping with less women sleeping rough for a continued, longer period and an increase in intermittent, low frequency rough sleeping. Nonetheless, the number of women who sleep rough every night or more than 60 days over the period of 3 months remains high (nearly a third of respondents).  Despite such small encouraging shifts, high levels of mobility, hidden, less visible and intermittent homelessness remain a concern. The survey also indicated that too often women had been in relevant homelessness  services without it leading to an end to rough sleeping.  

The data and trends identified in the survey underscores the clear need for gender specific  pathways and services that are tailored to women's experiences alongside more emergency and hostel accommodation spaces specifically for women to effectively address women’s rough sleeping.   

The importance of the Census and its potential to influence the design and resource allocation in Leeds as well as nationally cannot be underestimated. We are therefore extremely grateful  for the support from Barca Leeds, Bevan, Change Grow Live (CGL), Forward Leeds, Francis House (Turning Lives Around), Joanna Project, Leeds City Council (Leeds Housing Options), Leeds Women’s Aid, Our Way Leeds (OWL), Simon on the Streets, St Anne’s and Together Women Project as well as the support from St Martin-in-the-Fields Charity’s Frontline Network and Lloyds Bank Foundation without whose support the Census would not have been possible. If you’d like to find out more about the local networks Leeds Women’s Homelessness and Housing Frontline Network (practitioners), the Collaboration for Women’s Homelessness (managers) or would like to find out more in general please get in touch with Annie Butterfield, Housing and Influencing Change Worker at Basis Yorkshire, annie.butterfield@basisyorkshire.org.uk.

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