#4 Women & Homelessness in Britain: A History

600 Years of Homelessness

Let’s talk about women and homelessness. While homeless women are the majority in some contexts, they are largely missing from our official statistics and personal perceptions of homelessness – and history can help us to understand why.

In this final episode of the series, we’ll meet an 18th century vagrant woman, delve into the work of 19th century investigative journalist Olive Christian Malvery, discover how a group of ordinary women in Glasgow shaped Britain’s housing history, and step inside the women’s squatting movement of 1970s London. Join me as we shine a light on women’s homelessness, past and present – and learn why it’s so important that we have a gender-informed approach to homelessness now.

Want to get in touch? Please do! You can email the podcast at [e-mail].

Click here for a transcript and information about the historical sources used in this episode.

Cast & Credits

Writer, producer and narrator: Adela Davis.

Guests: Prof Alannah Tomkins, Prof Jane Hamlett, Dr Becca Searle, Madeline Routon, Amanda-Lee, Russel, Tia, Helen, Alv Hirst.

Cast: Penny, Serina.

Cover art: Camilla Storvik.

Archival audio courtesy of the London Community Video Archive:

• Chiswick Women’s Aid
• Black Homelessness

Music & sound effects:

• Folk Round | Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
• Conway Kuo, Blair McMillen | Mozart: Violin Sonata in E minor, K. 304 I. Allegro | courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.
• Conway Kuo, Blair McMillen | Mozart: Violin Sonata in E minor, K. 304 II. Tempo di minuetto | courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.
• Conway Kuo, Blair McMillen | Mozart: Violin Sonata in G major, K. 301 II. Allegro | courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.
• Sneaky Snitch | Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.
• Sunbreak | It Was Never Enough | courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.
• Elliot Holmes | Baby Driver | courtesy of www.epidemicsound.com.
• Mandeville | Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) | Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License.
• “Ringing a Hand Bell.wav” by Tewkesound | courtesy of https://freesound.org | licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Next Steps

Not sure what to do when you see someone sleeping rough? This article from The Big Issue has some helpful tips for how to start a conversation. And this article addresses the question of whether or not you should give money.

Use the StreetLink website (England and Wales) to connect the local council outreach team with someone who is sleeping rough. All you need is a location, time, and brief description of the person.

Want to find out about local services and volunteering in your area (England)? There is a great database here: https://homeless.org.uk/homeless-england/.

Donate to a charity (e.g. Shelter or Crisis) or buy The Big Issue from a local vendor.

Sign a petition or write to your local MP.

Check out the work of the Museum of Homelessness.