In 2024, the Bristol team collaborated with One25, St Mungo’s, Shelter, and Bristol City Council to coordinate the first Women’s Rough Sleeping Census in the city.
The National Women’s Rough Sleeping Census was initially launched in 2023 by Solace Women’s Aid, Crisis, the Single Homeless Project, and Change Grow Live, in response to the widespread underrepresentation of women in previous government rough sleeping snapshot data.
By working alongside local organisations that support women experiencing homelessness, the census revealed that many women were being overlooked in official data. This was largely due to their use of alternative strategies to avoid sleeping on the streets, such as walking through the night or sleeping in unsafe, hidden locations.
Last Thursday (3rd July), the Bristol-specific findings were released, showing that the number of women experiencing homelessness in the city is 23 times higher than current government figures suggest.
While the Government’s Rough Sleeping Snapshot identified just 15 women, the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census recorded 66. Moreover, over a three-month period, local insights meetings and engagement with trusted partner organisations identified a total of 349 women.
Niki Gould, Director of Women’s Community Services, stated:
“What this census shows is what many of us have known for a long time – that so many women experiencing homelessness aren’t being seen. The numbers are shocking, but they reflect a reality that has long gone unnoticed.”
The Nelson Trust, One25, St Mungo’s, Shelter, and Bristol City Council will continue collecting data on women experiencing homelessness in the city for the annual Women’s Rough Sleeping Census.
You can read the full UK report here: Women’s Rough Sleeping Census – Solace Womens Aid
