Since 2010 homelessness has increased by 169% due to a number of coinciding structural factors such as welfare reform and the housing crisis. The number of women now visibly sleeping rough on the streets has vastly increased, but due to their increased vulnerability to violence and sexual exploitation women will often be in situations that may mask or hide their homelessness. Sofa surfing, exchanging sex for a bed, sleeping on public transport or in other hidden locations masks the true scale of women's homelessness in the UK.

Many women experience years of abuse and poverty before ending up without a home, and there is very little support available that’s specifically for women. This is particularly true for those women experiencing multiple disadvantage, such as being victims of human trafficking or forced labour, for those with mental health and/or addiction issues usually as a result of severe trauma. We want to increase gender and  trauma  informed support from statutory services for women experiencing homelessness. Research shows that gender and trauma informed support is crucial in helping women recover from the causes and experiences of  trauma, abuse and homelessness.

Fabian Women's Network (FWN) are working through their networks nationwide to speak with housing teams in local authorities, to research where good practice around women and homelessness exists, and to identify the gaps. Good  practice  in  how  local  authorities can respond  to and  commission gender and  trauma  informed responses to this urgent and pressing issue. As local authorities configure services to be compliant with the new Homelessness Reduction Act, there is a real opportunity to influence and bring positive change for women in a context of many women’s services being cut or extremely stretched and unable to help women with multiple needs.

This crowdfunder has been set up to enable us to see the guidance report through to completion and to produce easy to read resources to share nationally as a result of the work. FWN is a volunteer-run organisation