Oxfordshire Homeless Movement
Oxfordshire Homeless Movement Signs Letter to Angela Rayner With Fresh Calls to Tackle the Inequalities Faced by Homeless Women
Oxford, 3 September, 2024
Oxfordshire Homeless Movement (OHM) has signed a significant open letter addressed to Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner.
The letter is signed by 47 organisations and calls for urgent action. Homeless women in the UK face unequal bias and OHM want it fixed.
The bias in part is because many pathways require a person to be seen rough sleeping to be referred. For a woman to be verified this way makes for constant risk. Rough sleeping is dangerous for anyone, but violence and abuse, physical and mental ill health, and early death are among the dangers women particularly face.
That disparity—between verified and not—is now known as fact. In 2023 the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census report proved there may be up to 9x as many women rough sleeping across England than the official Rough Sleeping Snapshot said (link).
What this means in the real world is that plans to respond get gender-biased and disadvantage women. A lack of suitable and safe services results.
The letter calls on the Government to change the way women's rough sleeping gets counted and recognised, and then how it gets responded to. It asks the Government to do this for example by:
- changes to rough sleeper verification and better data collecting
- adopting the women's rough sleeping census every year, and
- using the census findings and expertise in the homeless sector to make sure women have safe and suitable accommodation, survivors of violence are supported, and that migrant women experiencing violence are not subject to additional rules
Neil Preddy—Trustee at OHM—said, "An accurate understanding of the problem is the foundation for finding better solutions. That's why OHM supports the implementation of the Women's Rough Sleeping Census here in Oxfordshire."
As the country faces a continued rise in homelessness, OHM and its partners are calling on the government to respond with compassion, urgency, and informed strategies.
Sources:
- Letter sent to Angela Rayner, MP
- SHP News Release / Solace news release
The 2024 Women's Rough Sleeping Census: 23-29 September
Oxfordshire is included in the census this year. To find out how it is being conducted and the organisations taking part, email hello@ohmteam.org.
The census uses "a gender-informed definition of rough sleeping" to include a wide range of homelessness experiences that women might encounter, like walking around all night, sitting on a train or in a bus station, staying with strangers they’ve just met, or finding somewhere quiet and concealed to sleep.
(If you are outside Oxfordshire and want info on taking part visit https://www.solacewomensaid.org/womens-rough-sleeping-census/ or email womens.census@solacewomensaid.org )
More information
This article was made with bits from Solace Women’s Aid, the Single Homeless Project and OHM. For more info, see below.
About Solace Women's Aid
Solace Women's Aid exists to end the harm done through gender-based violence. Their aim is to work to prevent violence and abuse as well as providing services to meet the individual needs of survivors particularly women and children. https://www.solacewomensaid.org/
About Single Homeless Project
Single Homeless Project works to help single Londoners by preventing homelessness, providing support and accommodation, promoting wellbeing, enhancing opportunity and being a voice for change. In 2020–2021, Single Homeless Project supported over 10,000 Londoners across all 32 boroughs. https://www.shp.org.uk
About Oxfordshire Homeless Movement
Oxfordshire Homeless Movement works to ensure nobody should have to sleep rough on the streets of Oxfordshire. ohmteam.org.