Getting it right for women rough sleepers

Research by University of Wolverhampton experts into what leads women to sleep rough in the UK and across Europe will be showcased at a conference.

The Getting it Right for Women Rough Sleepers conference will take place on Thursday, 22 November 2012.

The research is by Professor Kate Moss of the University of Wolverhampton and is part of the Women Rough Sleepers Who Suffer Violence project, which is funded by EU DAPHNE.

Professor Moss will be previewing some of the results of her research at the Getting it Right for Women Rough Sleepers conference, which is being hosted by homelessness charity St Mungo’s at the St Luke’s Centre in London. The following week she will be presenting her findings to the European Commission in Brussels.

Also speaking will be Alexia Murphy from St Mungo’s, who initiated the charity’s women’s strategy, and Petra Salva, Director of the No Second Night Out initiative. St Mungo’s launched its 18 month campaign Rebuilding Shattered Lives, this summer to share good practice and improve services for homeless women.

Alexia Murphy said: “This conference presents an ideal opportunity to bring together leading international research with frontline best practice to improve services and get women rough sleepers off the streets.”

“We know that among our clients alone, over 1 in 3 women (34%) who had slept rough experienced domestic violence which led to their homelessness. We hope Prof Moss’ research will inform how governments and agencies across Europe can get the right help to women at the right time, which very much is the aim of our Rebuilding Shattered Lives campaign.”