Women And Homelessness: Innovative Practice And Exit Pathways

Abstract

The face of women now appears as a significant feature of the ‘new homelessness’. According to
the Wesley Mission report the ‘faces of homelessness’ have changed significantly over the last two
decades:
‘The old, derelict wino on the park bench has been joined by younger men, unemployed and
hopeless; by the confused and mentally ill, frightened by the pace of activity surrounding
them; by women and children, desperate to escape violent and destructive domestic
situations; by young people, cast off by families who can’t cope or don’t care’ (Hoogland,
2001).
This paper reports on recently completed research on women’s transitions out of homelessness and
the role of housing and associated support services in offering ‘independence’. This paper will
provide an overview of the research and the outcomes in the final report.
The research sought to answer the following questions:
a. What kinds of housing and support services do homeless women utilize?
b. How does access to housing and associated support services affect women’s transitions out
of homelessness?
c. How do different forms of housing provision and associated support services affect
women’s transitions out of homelessness?
The research project was funded by the Commonwealth Office of the Status of Women (OSW),
who sought to further its evidence based policy development through examination of the ‘exit
pathways’ for women from homelessnessii.