The average age of death for women experiencing rough sleeping is just 43 years old. Let’s change that, together.
Across the UK, thousands of people are sleeping rough and missing out on the support they desperately need.
But the recent 2025 Leeds Women’s Rough Sleeping Census highlights something even more alarming: for many women, it’s not just that they’re slipping under the radar; they’re disappearing from it altogether.
The dangers of sleeping rough
Just take a minute and picture rough sleeping. What do you see? For many, it’s a scene of people bedding down in doorways or wandering the streets in search of somewhere safe to rest. It might also be a picture of being offered food and hot drinks, or heading to soup kitchens.
The reality, very often especially for women, is far more frightening.
The human cost is devastating. The average age of death for women experiencing rough sleeping is just 43 years old. Research from Crisis in 2023, across the North West, North East, Midlands and London, found that 9 out of 10 people experienced at least one form of violence, abuse or theft while sleeping rough. And these aren’t isolated incidents.
More than 6 in 10 people reported being attacked on at least three separate occasions, while 83% were threatened with violence. This is the day-to-day reality for women who have nowhere safe to go.
Women on the streets
One of the most shocking findings from the census is just how easily women fall through the gaps in our systems. Rough sleeping is rarely the result of a single event; it’s usually the endpoint of a long journey marked by instability, trauma and missed opportunities to help.
A staggering 14% of the women surveyed in the census ended up on the streets after leaving social housing, often forced out by tenancy disputes, no-fault evictions or domestic abuse. When they do reach the streets, they’re confronted with systems that are simply not designed to meet their needs – systems that are too rigid to support women facing complex trauma, substance use or serious mental health challenges.
Many women begin sleeping rough after leaving state care, with nowhere else to turn. In this context, state care includes prison, rehabilitation facilities and emergency accommodation. Instead of being a bridge to safety, these services can become a revolving door back to the streets.
The Leeds Women’s Rough Sleeping Census
This year’s census is the result of a powerful collaboration. Alongside Simon on the Streets’ contribution, so many other incredible organisations doing vital, often unrecognised work, have also been involved, including: Barca, Bevan, Change Grow Live, Forward Leeds, Francis House, Joanna Project, Leeds Homeless Charter, Leeds Women’s Aid, St Anne’s, St Georges Crypt, Together Women Project and Women’s Health Matters.
The report was compiled by Basis Yorkshire.
None of this would have been possible without the women who shared their lived experiences and trusted the process with their stories. We must never forget that. Their honesty, courage and time have allowed this report to shine a light on realities that are too often hidden.
Without these contributions, this report wouldn’t exist. The issue would remain unaddressed, and the women at risk would remain unseen, unheard, and unsupported.
An emergency we can no longer ignore
This census is about more than just numbers on a page. It’s about a system that’s failing women. At Simon on the Streets, we’re constantly challenging the assumptions that society makes about those facing homelessness, and the census does just that. It reminds us that rough sleeping isn’t always visible, and that for many women, survival depends on staying out of sight.
The bottom line? Women experience homelessness differently. And because they experience it differently, they need support tailored to their needs. What we don’t need are short-term fixes that send women back to square one.
Right now, women are being left behind. And that’s something none of us can afford to ignore any longer.
Your support means we can help women look to a positive future and a life away from sleeping rough on the streets. It means we can give them hope. If you can, please make your donation now.
Read the full census here.