Finding a place to sleep is a matter of life and death for the women who make up two-thirds of London’s hidden homeless. Stylist investigates an invisible crisis that’s reaching fever pitch
WORDS: MEENA ALEXANDER Content warning: This article contains references to addiction, abuse and suicidal ideation
I f you found yourself suddenly out on the street, no money and no loved ones to help, which direction would you walk in? Which underpass or alleyway might you consider, with tired eyes, as a potential bed for the night? Would you seek out others sheltering in makeshift tents, or would being alone feel safer? Would you risk asking that group of drunk men passing by for help?
What would worry you more, that first night: the theft of your few precious possessions or the risk of being raped? And what about the cold? On a London street in December, temperatures can drop to –3°C; spend too long sat still and your breathing will slow, your speech will begin to slur, and your heart will start to struggle. Does breaking into an abandoned building, or offering yourself up for sex work, start to look like a better option?
These are the kind of decisions hundreds of women in the UK must weigh up every week, whether they’ve been made homeless by skyrocketing rents, abusive partners or the sudden no-fault evictions that have hit a seven-year high, climbing by 38% in the last year. If you’re lucky, their situation will feel worlds away, but for an ever-growing portion of society hit by a cost-of-living and housing crisis with no end in sight, it’s really not. In London, there were more rough sleepers on the streets from July to September than ever before at 4,068, half of them homeless for the first time. In October, Citizens Advice helped more than 8,000 people with homelessness issues – again, the highest figure recorded in one month.
I’m told by frontline workers that women are suffering most. They make up two-thirds of London’s ‘hidden homeless’ – those not officially counted because they’re not seen bedding down on the streets, where it’s so dangerous for a woman that life expectancy drops to 43. You’ll have crossed paths with these invisible women without realising it. Sat next to them on night buses they’ve been riding for hours to make the most of the heating and security of other passengers; locked eyes with them in doctor’s waiting rooms where they can get a
