Women are under-represented in rough sleeping statistics and provision, yet research, lived experience and the experiences of services tell us that women are some of the most vulnerable within the rough sleeping population.
The London Women’s Rough Sleeping Census aims to collect more comprehensive data on women experiencing rough sleeping and trial a different method of data collection.
The most recent census was conducted in September 2023 in London and in 14 local authorities across England.
Read the report on the London 2023 census results.
With CGL researchers, we are working on a national census report covering results from all the participating areas. We will be launching this report with an event in May 2024. The report and event details will be posted to this webpage and sent to the mailing list.
On this page, you can also find previous census reports, resources and information about Women’s Rough Sleeping Census, created for the London 2023 census.
Watch a short video to hear Maxine, a Solace volunteer, reflect on rough sleeping as a woman and why the census matters, and hear colleagues Ellie and Lucy explain how the census works.
Census dates:
The latest census was delivered in September 2023 and will take place again in Autumn 2024.
Resources on this page were designed for the 2023 census in London. Dates and resources for the census in 2024 will be added to this website and sent to the mailing list once confirmed.
Mailing List:
To receive the latest information, reports and resources for the census in London, sign up to the mailing list.
If you work outside London and you’re interested in conducting the census in your area, please contact womens.census@solacewomensaid.org for more information.
Women’s Rough Sleeping Census :
The census gathers data through a survey conducted across a week in September with women who experience rough sleeping, and borough-wide data and discussion meetings. We rely on and are hugely grateful to the practitioners and services who conduct the survey with women they work with.
Taking part in the next census:
In 2023, 44 local authorities in London and across England delivered the census in their area, and even more have expressed interest in taking part in 2024.
We are currently working on resources and support for areas wishing to take part in 2024. The resources on this page were designed for the London census in 2023, but can still provide information about what the census involves.
For more information about how your local or combined authority outside London could take part, please contact us at womens.census@solacewomensaid.org.
Whichever area you’re in, the census is designed for the participation of a wide range of services and sectors. Your service might be a VAWG, health, drug and alcohol, migrant support service or a community group, or another type of support provider: if you work with women who experience homelessness, your service could be involved in or even lead the census in your area.
You can find out more about what the census entails on our 2023 information sheet below.
https://www.solacewomensaid.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Womens-Census-2023-Information-Sheet.pdf
Training and resources
The census team developed guidance and recorded online information sessions for outreach and services taking part in the census in 2023, which can be found below.
The census team will upload new resources to this webpage in the lead up to the 2024 census.
Guidance
Read our gender-informed outreach guidance for outreach teams planning their census shifts. All those taking part in the shifts should be familiar with this guidance
Read our gender-informed outreach guidance.
Read our guidance for non-outreach services who will be conducting the survey with their service users. All team members taking part should be familiar with this guidance.
Read our non outreach services guidance
Information sessions
We delivered two information sessions about the London census in August – you can watch the recorded sessions via the links below.
Outreach information session – this session is for services who deliver outreach shifts and on which you sometimes meet women who are rough sleeping. Your service might deliver rough sleeping, health, drug and alcohol or another type of outreach. Watch this session to learn more about how the census will work and how your service can deliver gender-informed outreach shifts.
Services information session – this session is for services who sometimes work with women experiencing homelessness. You might be a homelessness, women’s, health or substance use service, or another type of service provider. Watch this session to learn more about how the census will work and what your service can do to take part.
Other resources
Download this template services information sheet, which you can edit with your area’s local service information and provide to women you meet during census week.
Can you help to make the census happen in your borough?
Every borough has an amazing set of services who can come together to deliver an impactful census response.
Can you reach out to local services in your borough and encourage them to be involved? Can you arrange meetings with local services and lead the local response, with support from the census team?
If so, your support as a Borough Lead can help to make sure that every borough can fully participate and become informed about the women sleeping rough in their area.
If you’d like to know more about being a Borough Lead in London, get in touch with us at womens.census@solacewomensaid.org.
Can you help us spread the word in your sector?
Women who are rough sleeping need support from lots of different services – it may be that someone reaches a health service or migrant support service before they reach a homelessness service. We want to make sure women are included in the census, whichever support they reach first.
If you can help us by sharing census information with different services in your sector, or recommend meetings or networks we should attend and share information with, or help us to make sure the census is relevant to your sector, please get in touch.
If you’d like to know more, get in touch with us at womens.census@solacewomensaid.org.
Can you volunteer your time during census week?
Volunteers play a vital role in helping to deliver the London Women’s Rough Sleeping Census.
When we start planning for the 2024 census, we’ll be asking for volunteers to support with delivery in London. There’s further information below, and a registration form will be available on this webpage in summer 2024.
We will be asking for volunteers who work or have worked within the homelessness or related sectors, or who might have lived experience of homelessness. This is so that we can be confident that women taking part in the census are approached by people who have understanding and sensitivity about their experiences.
Volunteers will be needed during census week (2024 dates to be confirmed) and will be asked to help conduct surveys with women who have experienced rough sleeping. You may be asked to accompany professional outreach workers on their shifts, or to attend a day centre or another location in a borough.
We primarily ask for women volunteers so we can make sure there is always a woman present when someone is asked to do the survey, to make sure they feel as comfortable as possible. However, if you don’t identify as a woman and would like to be involved, please get in touch once registration opens: we will do our best to arrange a volunteer placement for everyone who registers their interest.
We are grateful to all volunteers for your time.
Census Reports
The most recent census was conducted in September 2023 in London and in 14 local authorities across England. A full report on the London 2023 census results can be found below.
Census 2022
The first census was completed in October 2022. The resulting report by researchers Praxis Collab was published in March 2023 and sets out key findings and learnings from this first-of-its-kind census.
https://www.solacewomensaid.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Making-Women-Count.pdf
The census was first designed by Single Homeless Project, The Women’s Development Unit (Solace Women’s Aid and The Connection at St Martin’s) and St Mungo’s, with support from London Councils and the GLA. Thank you to Praxis Collab for their research expertise and support in designing the first census and authoring the report.
Contact us
Eleanor Greenhalgh | womens.census@solacewomensaid.org
Phone | 07483025214
The national development of the census has been supported by Homeless Link, Solace Women’s Aid, CGL and local authorities and organisations working hard to coordinate the census in their area.
The census in London is delivered in collaboration between Single Homeless Project, Solace Women’s Aid, London Councils and the GLA, with support from the Life Off the Streets Core Group/Women’s Workstream and DLUHC.
Thank you to the many teams and practitioners across England who work hard to make the census a reality in their area each year.
