‘I just wanted somewhere safe’: Women who are homeless with their children

Abstract

Families are the fastest growing segment of homeless populations in resource-rich countries; most are female-headed. We report on women's experiences of being homeless with their children in Victoria, Australia, emphasising their mental health. Twelve women (who between them had daily responsibility for 31 children) were interviewed, revealing complex pathways into homelessness; the two main contributors were economic decline and domestic violence, with drug use and poor mental health making lesser contributions. Homelessness appeared to have adverse effects on women's wellbeing, mental health and ontological security. There was evidence of structural barriers to good mental health being inherent in the system designed to support them, with no provision for prevention or early intervention, and limited capacity for providing residential stability. Women wanted to live somewhere that was stable, secure and safe, for themselves and their children.

A Qualitative Study of the Pathways Into and Impacts of Family Homelessness

“…Although the shelter system was often seen as a last resort, the well-being of children was an ever-present concern for many parents and a key factor in their deciding to access an emergency shelter. These findings are mostly consistent with those from past research (e.g., Bassuk et al, 1997;Kirkman et al, 2015), demonstrating their relevance and applicability to families in Canada. However, other key findings from the current study are novel additions to the knowledge base on family homelessness.…”

“…In a study of 220 homeless mothers, Browne and Bassuk (1997) found that more than 60% of participants had been physically assaulted by male partners. A small, qualitative study also identified family violence as a key pathway into homelessness that the majority of participants had experienced (Kirkman, Keys, Bodzak, & Turner, 2015). Furthermore, after families exit homelessness, those that experience subsequent partner violence are three times more likely to experience another episode of homelessness in the future (Bassuk, Perloff, & Dawson, 2001).…”

“…Homelessness is also linked to stigma and discrimination (Cosgrove & Flynn, 2005; Kirkman et al, 2015), which can further affect family health practices. Kirkman et al (2015) found in a qualitative study that some parents restricted the care that they sought for themselves and their children to prevent others from knowing that the family was homeless.…”

“…Homelessness is also linked to stigma and discrimination (Cosgrove & Flynn, 2005; Kirkman et al, 2015), which can further affect family health practices. Kirkman et al (2015) found in a qualitative study that some parents restricted the care that they sought for themselves and their children to prevent others from knowing that the family was homeless. Cosgrove and Flynn (2005) reported that some participants in their study expressed concern that their parenting was being judged, which led them to be on guard about how their behaviors would be interpreted.…”

Spaces of Exclusion: Safety, Stigma, and Surveillance of Mothers Experiencing Homelessness

“…As noted by Phipps, Dalton, Maxwell, and Cleary (2019), the majority of literature on homelessness focuses primarily on the experiences of men or “homeless people.” However, individuals experiencing homelessness are not a homogenous population, and women experiencing homelessness face unique challenges. Lifetime exposure to trauma, violence, and victimization is a recurring and pervasive concern for women experiencing homelessness (Huey, Broll, Hryniewicz, & Fthenos, 2014; Kirkman, Keys, Bodzak, & Turner, 2015; Osuji & Hirst, 2015; Whitbeck, Armenta, & Welch-Lazoritz, 2015). Likewise, differing complexity and disparities exist for mothers (Phipps et al., 2019).…”