Single homeless women failed

Single homeless women are being failed by the housing system, a report by Crisis said today.

Based on interviews with 160 women, it found the majority had had negative experiences of local authorities, while less than one-third who applied for housing met priority need status despite often traumatic backgrounds.

While almost one-third had children they were looking to be reunited with once they had found accommodation, they were treated as childless.

Many reported being physically, verbally or sexually assaulted while sleeping rough, or being forced into unwanted sexual relationships to obtain accommodation.

The charity called for urgent action to ensure councils took into account vulnerability arising from accumulated experiences when assessing need, and more services that addressed women’s particular needs.