Women’s Rough Sleeping Census
Not sure whether you can participate? Read our guide here.
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 Women’s Rough Sleeping Census aims to collect more comprehensive data on women experiencing rough sleeping and trial a different method of data collection. It also seeks to improve support and provision for women who are rough sleeping and experiencing other forms of hidden homelessness, by working directly with service and outreach teams on gender-informed practice.
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. Since 2022, more than 3000 women across England have shared their experiences of recent rough sleeping through the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census.
WRSC 2026:
The Government’s cross-departmental Plan to End Homelessness encouraged all local authorities to participate in the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census, and so we hope you will join us in making this year’s census the biggest yet.
After listening to participating areas’ feedback, we have made some slight changes to the Census process for this year.
- We have simplified the survey process, allowing for areas to now submit all responses to a single national survey link, rather than having to duplicate their own. You’ll no longer have to send us any data via spreadsheets.
- We have also updated our local insight data collection process, meaning agencies and services can send their numbers into lead organisers in advance of the meeting, so that the data collection and duplication process can be done outside of any meeting time – leaving more room for discussion.
You’ll find everything you need on this page, including official sign-up links above, FAQ’s and Information sheets on why to take part, and most crucially, guidance for organisers, outreach teams or building-based services in the resources section below.
The latest Census: 2025
The 2025 census survey took place between September and October 2025. More than 100 local authorities took part across England.
The Women’s Rough Sleeping Census 2025: Missing Women, led by Single Homeless Project and Solace, alongside Crisis and Change Grow Live, found as many as ten times more women sleeping rough in some areas than official government snapshot counts identified.
Now in its fourth year, the census used a gender-informed methodology across 101 local authorities to build a more accurate picture of women’s rough sleeping and hidden homelessness. The findings show women are still being excluded from official homelessness figures because they survive in places official counts routinely overlook.
Nearly two thirds (65%) of women surveyed said they had slept in places excluded from official homelessness counts, including buses, A&E waiting rooms and public transport, or staying awake through the night to avoid violence, exploitation and sexual assault.
The report also found that across six local authorities, official government snapshot counts recorded zero women sleeping rough, while the Census identified 162 women sleeping rough in those same areas.
Other findings include:
- 49% had walked around all night to avoid sleeping visibly
- 27% had stayed with strangers or new acquaintances
- 45% had been in some form of homelessness accommodation immediately before sleeping rough. This shows that current services often fail to meet women’s needs and aren’t enough to prevent them from sleeping rough.
- 38% were not receiving support from either a housing officer or homelessness organisation.
Read the full report below.
During the census survey one of our outreach teams were joined by BBC London who interviewed our Public Affairs Manager Kathryn Parsons, and Senior Housing First Worker, Ella Johnson for a Radio and TV report covering the process. The online article can be read here.
Previous reports
Resources and guidance
Guidance for those wanting to be involved in the census has now been updated for 2026. Please do take a read:
Training sessions and videos
2026 training and information sessions
We are running online sessions for london and national organisations wishing to be involved in the 2026 census, across the summer. Please take a look at our schedules here. These sessions can be attended by outreach teams, building-based services, and census lead organisers.
Insight Meetings – October 2025
This session was recorded 6th October 2025 and is for all participating services and charities who wish to be involved in the insight meetings.
Organiser Information Session – this session was recorded in July 2025 and is for organisers who are leading on an area taking part in the census or wish to know for future census’.
Services information session – this session was recorded in July 2025and is for services who sometimes work with women experiencing homelessness (but don’t usually deliver outreach).
Outreach information session – this session was recorded in July 2025 and is for teams who deliver outreach shifts.
Other resources
Local organisers should contact womens.census@solacewomensaid.org to ensure you have access to all of the latest resources.
Can you help to make the census happen in your borough?
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. If you would like more information, please contact us.
Every borough has an amazing set of services who can come together to deliver an impactful census response. Can you spread the word with local services? If so, please feel free to share the information sheet and resources on this website and reach out to your local organiser if you can offer support.
Your support in sharing information and encouraging teams and services to get involved can help to make sure that every borough can fully participate and become informed about the women sleeping rough in their area, and that women reaching a range of services can be included.
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 in London?
Volunteers play a vital role in helping to deliver the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census and we are asking for volunteers to support delivery of the census in London.
We are 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, 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: 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 – email womens.census@solacewomensaid.org to volunteer or register interest for 2026
Contact us
We are keen to ensure that everybody who supports women who might be experiencing homelessness is kept up to date on the census, so do please make sure you’re signed up to our mailing list, and feel free to forward this to anybody you think might be interested in getting updates.
Alternatively, please contact Kathryn Parsons | womens.census@solacewomensaid.org
Phone | 07584 167 991
The national development of the census has been supported by Solace Women’s Aid, Single Homeless Project, CRISIS, Change Grow Live and all 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.
