Women's rough sleeping census to launch in Peterborough to raise awareness of often overlooked issue
A rough sleeping census will be carried out it Peterborough to highlight an often overlooked issue that faces many women in the city.
Peterborough based homelessness partnership, Safer Off The Streets has announced it will be coordinating local delivery of the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census, part of a national count led by Solace Women’s Aid.
The organisation is now calling on services across the city who come into contact with women experiencing homelessness to consider taking part.
Anna Lee, Safer Off The Streets Chair, said: “Many people won’t be aware of how significantly women are underrepresented in official rough-sleeping statistics. This census will help service providers, policy makers and funders better understand the issues relating to women’s homelessness, promoting gender-informed practice across statutory and voluntary services.
“Crucially, our aim is that the data gathered locally will lead to more women in Peterborough getting the specific support they need to prevent them from sleeping in unsafe places. We are incredibly grateful to our partners across the public and charity sectors for coming together to help us make this census a success, especially as we know first-hand how stretched their services are.”
The Women’s Rough Sleeper Census is a UK-wide initiative designed to build a more accurate picture of the scale and nature of women’s rough sleeping. Women experiencing homelessness are often missed by traditional counting methods because they are more likely to sleep in hidden or unsafe locations, or with people who pose a risk to them, to avoid the very real dangers associated with sleeping in visible places.
The hidden nature of women’s rough sleeping means that current data often fails to reflect the true extent of the problem, affecting how services are designed, commissioned and funded. A shortage of provision tailored to women’s specific needs, such as trauma-informed support and safeguarding for those fleeing abuse, makes it much more challenging for women experiencing homelessness to secure a safe, permanent place to call home.
Ann Shaheed, Peterborough City Council’s cabinet member for rough sleeping said: “We know that there are vulnerable women who are sleeping rough in our city, but it is often difficult to know how many there are, and if they are aware of the help that our city can provide.
“This census is a way for our local communities to provide their observations and expertise in aiding them; the more data we can build, the more complete the picture.”
With 27 organisations already signed up, Safer Off The Streets is encouraging any organisation that supports women experiencing homelessness to get in touch and find out more about the census, which takes place from Monday 21 to Sunday September 27.
For more information, please contact Anna Lee on [email protected].