Homelessness is a problem that affects cultures all around the world, and it sometimes goes unnoticed. Homelessness has a special and frequently disregarded aspect despite affecting people of all genders: the gender gap that significantly contributes to the exacerbation of this catastrophe.
Homelessness and gender-based concerns are related in a complex way that is entrenched in long-standing societal injustices. The equitable distribution of resources, opportunities, and services within a community is referred to as spatial justice, and it is a crucial lens through which to see homelessness.
Women who experience domestic violence, sexual assault, or other types of gender-based violence are frequently identified as victims of gender-based homelessness. Many women are compelled to leave their homes and look for safety in shelters or on the streets, frequently bringing their kids with them. The cycle of homelessness is perpetuated by the absence of accessible housing and support for these women, making it much harder to break free. In order to shed light on the connection between gender-based violence and homelessness, Jon et al. (2007) investigated the experiences of homeless women. Their work emphasizes the terrible conditions that women who experience sexual assault, domestic violence, or other types of gender-based violence must deal with. These women are frequently compelled to flee their homes in search of safety, frequently while hauling their kids behind them. Their study demonstrates how the cycle of homelessness is exacerbated by gender-based violence, and how the lack of accessible housing and assistance for these women makes their problems even worse.
With 42 women per 10,000 individuals suffering homelessness, the District of Columbia has the highest prevalence of female homelessness in the country, which is a sobering number that serves as a harsh reminder of the dire gender-based homelessness epidemic, (USC, 2019). The issue of homelessness disproportionately impacts women in the nation's capital when measured against the national average of 4.37 homeless women per 10,000 persons. Speer (2017) article connects well with this as it explores the mechanics of domestic space and its value, giving light on how homeless camps and housing initiatives contribute to how marginalized people see home. Given this situation, it is clear that homelessness has significant effects on women who experience domestic abuse, sexual assault, and gender-based violence.
The gender gap in homelessness is a complex issue that has a number of structural roots. Women who are homeless frequently face particular difficulties, such as an increased risk of domestic abuse and restricted access to secure housing. These women frequently have children, which makes it even harder for them to find housing and stability.
We must take into account spatial justice as a crucial element in order to address these gender-based problems with homelessness. This entails giving excluded genders access to secure, inclusive environments in addition to housing.
We need to help survivors of gender-based violence, provide affordable housing services, and invest in education that challenges preconceptions and prejudices in order to achieve spatial justice in the fight against gender-based homelessness. Creating a society in which everyone, regardless of gender identity or experience, has the right to safe and stable housing is not only an issue of social justice but also a step towards a more inclusive and equal world. The following website offers great help to homeless women and families to transition to housing and supportive services: https://womenofhopeoh.org/
Reference
May, Jon, Paul Cloke and Sarah Johnsen. 2007. “Alternative Cartographies of Homelessness: Rendering Visible British Women’s Experiences of ‘Visible’ Homelessness.” Gender, Place, and Culture 14(2):121-140.
Speer, Jesse. 2017.
“It’s not like your home: Homeless Encampments, Housing Projects, and the
Struggle over Domestic Space.” Antipode 49(2)517-533.
Unsafe and unwell: How homelessness affects women and how to help. USC. (2019, April 5). https://nursing.usc.edu/blog/how-to-help-homeless-women/#:~:text=How%20Many%20Women%20Are%20Homeless,with%201.28%20per%2010%2C000%20people.
These statistics are stunning. Not sure why the US Capital in particular has such a high frequency of homeless women but it could possibly put a focus on this issue. Being homeless is such a difficult predicament, but being homeless with a child or children is even hard to imagine. The end of the article sights a link to possible help but would a homeless women have the facilities or ability to make use of it. It rather indicates that they need some personal help and support.
ReplyDeletePrathana, I really enjoyed reading your post, I think you showcased the intersection between women and homelessness very well and included great details. I like how you mention that in order to truly understand homelessness, it must be looked at through a lens of spatial justice, since it takes into account a person's ability to access specific resources, opportunities, etc. I was shocked to learn that DC has the highest population of homeless women than any other American city. It is quite an ironic scene to imagine, all of these homeless women, many with children, only within blocks from the capital buildings where policy makers debate issues and make policies about homeless and women's livelihoods. Since many homeless women have restricted access to affordable housing, they are forced to live in close quarters in homeless encampments with men, leading women to often face domestic abuse. I think it is great that you attached the link to the website that offers resources and opportunities for homeless women to connect with one another, since a common theme in spatial justice is community.
ReplyDeleteThe data on the ratio of homeless women in the national capital against the national average is astonishing (42 against 4.37), almost 10-fold higher. It is hard to believe that the capital city which is considered as the political center and/or economic center of the United States of America lacks basic supply and access for homeless people, especially women who are vulnerable and usually attached to child-caring roles.
ReplyDeleteI am also concerned about the general way mass media depicts homelessness. In a lot of movie series, music videos, documentaries, and so on, homeless people are constantly drugged, lazy, and psycho-male persons. First, it excludes women from the whole big picture and second, it makes the community misunderstand the root cause of a significant homeless female population – namely violence. So I totally agree with the solutions that you mentioned in the last paragraph: “provide affordable housing services”, “invest in education that challenges preconceptions and prejudices” so we can “achieve spatial justice” in the long run.
Anh Do
Hi Prathana! Thank you for sharing your article and resources. I had no idea that the rate of homelessness was so high and that women were significantly the ones impacted before this class and your blog post brought the idea to the forefront of my noggin. I can't help but think of how the “ideal” person one designs cities for is a typical male. This leads to the idea that men experience homelessness more when women and their children are not that idea. This makes examples of hostile or anti-homeless architecture that much more sinister because not only is it excluding women it is not even assuming they are there which leads to the erasure you were discussing. Of course, designing specific benches to inhibit men from sleeping on them is terrible, but benches are not even wide enough for an adult woman and a child to sleep on together so where are they even being pushed to due to the design of cities? These are rhetorical questions of course but ones that I am now curious about because of your blog post! Thank you for sharing truly!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed reading your post. You touched on several important things we have talked about in class and stuff we haven’t as well. I thought it was important that you touched on women who were victims of domestic violence or gender-based violence are identified as victims of gender-based homelessness. I also thought it was great how you touched on the cycle of homelessness being perpetuated by the absence of accessible housing, and support for those women, this all makes it really hard to get out of the cycle. I also thought it was cool that you included a study and the study had very useful information about women who experience violence and the connection to homelessness. I also thought it was important that you touched on social justice and said how it must be taken into account when addressing these issues. I also thought it was great how in the last part you touched on how we can help these groups by providing affordable housing, investing in education that challenges preconceived notions and prejudices. This would hopefully create a society in which someone of any gender can feel safe and thrive in their space. I also liked how you touched on there being other excluded genders other than women because this brings queer identities into the picture, and I think that is a big part of this discussion as well.
ReplyDeletePhenomenal work illuminating the intersections of gender, violence, and homelessness in this post! Reading through it also made me think on the intersections of barriers that perpetuate injustices. What I mean is, in all of these alarming statistics, they only account for women who identify as homeless. When considering a broader lens of socioeconomic disparities and housing insecurity, I imagine that these statistics would be even more grim and fatal. The more broad definition of housing insecurity, considers people who are at risk of loosing housing. This was my experience. It is not so much having to sleep on the street as it is crashing at a friends or family members house which causes strain on the relationship.
ReplyDeleteWhen women, and at times their children, find themselves homeless or housing insecure, there are limited resources designed to accommodate them. I remember reading a quote once that said "just as there are hundreds of thousands of homeless people, there are hundreds of thousands of solutions to homelessness". This drives home the perspective that women and children-focused shelter services ought to be a feature in all communities.