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Homelessness and The Female Experience

I remember seeing the woman hold a rolled-up blanket. I was thirteen and in San

Francisco to spend the day at Pier 39 with my friends. As we walked down Embarcadero, I got

closer and saw movement in the blanket and I thought that there was a curled-up dog within. But

when I walked by I was completely shocked. A small child within the blanket, no older than two,

was sleeping peacefully in the rolled-up blanket. Realizing that the woman was the mother, I

looked at her and noticed she looked so tired. Her young face was gaunt and her eyes were a

brilliant blue but held a degree of sadness. My heart ached for her because I could not imagine

having not only to support myself with few resources but to support my child as well. My friend,

also deeply affected by this, dropped a couple of dollars into her basket and kept walking. I kept

walking too and turned back to watch her sweep the money into her bag and lean back to fall

asleep with her child in her arms.

The rest of the day I thought about the woman, perhaps no more than ten years older than

I, and wondered whether she would be okay. The few dollars my friend gave her may have

gotten her a warm meal that night, but what about if she or her child needed medical care or a

safe place to sleep? This is where my search began.

About four years later, a friend invited me to an event at her church in Walnut Creek

where we would provide childcare for a group of homeless families who were staying in the

church’s hall. Upon our arrival, I approached the mothers to see if they needed any help with

anything. One woman looked at me and said, “Could you go see if there are any feminine

products in the back?” After I came back she began telling me about her life before she was in

the church’s program. She had gone weeks without having any access to these products before.

She had not seen the father of her child since she had the child. She has had to raise her child all

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on her own since then. I peered into her tent in the church’s hall and saw her few belongings and

the supplies that she had received from the church in a small pile in the corner. She continued

telling me about how scary it was to be all alone on the streets and that she constantly woke up

throughout the night fearing for the safety of herself and her child. I felt anger bubble up inside

of me and I left that church determined to do something about this problem.

These two inspiring experiences, started me thinking about how women’s experiences

were somewhat different from those of homeless men, with additional problems besides lacking

sufficient housing, food, and other resources. Specific women’s problems may not be part of

one's thinking about homelessness, but they should be considered. Those thoughts have formed

my research question: How do the challenges and experiences of being homeless differ for

women?

As part of my research, I contacted the Trinity Center in downtown Walnut Creek. Their

website stated that they have a period of time on Wednesdays that only women were allowed

inside the shelter. By going to the Trinity Center I hoped to gain a firsthand experience of what

homeless women really go through. Upon arrival, I noticed a lot of the women were outside

enjoying the sun. I was very nervous because it felt like I was intruding on something very

personal to these women. The day before, I had called the front desk and I did not know if Carol

Lombard, the Operations Manager and Volunteer Director, would be on site. It was my first

times doing anything like this and I had no idea what to expect or how I should approach the

situation. I walked inside and the first thing I noticed was a woman sitting in the hall eating an

orange with a dog curled at her feet. I was directed to the main office and when I walked in

Lombard was sitting at her desk. We talked for a bit, but I did not want her to make a fuss over

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me and she just told me where I should look. The Trinity Center is a “pit stop” for the homeless

to make and they can take care of themselves for the day.

The shelter is equipped with a kitchen, two full bathrooms, a main living area, a clothes

shed, and a foodshed. The Trinity Center does its best to provide the homeless population around

Walnut Creek with a break from the hardship of life on the streets. As I walked around, a few of

the women smiled at me, but I did my best to not be too noticeable because I felt like I was

intruding on something that was very personal to the women. As I looked at the women, I could

tell that they were relieved to have a break. Most of the women sat together, visiting and looked

like they were genuinely having a good time. They were all seated on outdoor chairs chatting,

smoking, and laughing at their stories. It was really special to see them connect and have some

time to relax. Inside the shelter was oddly quiet but when I walked outside I noticed how much

of a community is there. I talked with one the staff members and he told me that a lot of these

women were regulars at the center. He told me they usually come to clean up a bit, get some new

clothes, and load up on things they ran out on. I asked about feminine products and he told me

that they are in high demand and that their center was lucky to have enough to help these

women. This experience helped kickstart my research because it helped put a face on the

statistics I would be reading about and help me connect the facts I gather to something that is

very real.

Women’s homelessness experience is of course, is the same as men’s in many ways.

Homelessness is a growing problem in the United States and to be “homeless” is defined as not

having a regular place to live and from 2016 to 2017, homelessness increased nationally by 0.7

percent (What Causes Homelessness?). It is something that people may not see in Walnut Creek

frequently, but in the past couple of years, it has increased rapidly as the community develops

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into a commercial hub. To define a one reason for someone to become homeless is impossible,

but rather it is a multitude of factors that migle lead to this result. Someone might become

homeless due to a lack of affordable housing, a low income, health or drug issues, or domestic

violence. While many think the number of homeless people in the Bay Area is decreasing as the

quality of life improves as more people are flocking to this area for its numerous job

opportunities in the technology industry and its continuous efforts to bring quality housing to

residents, it is actually increasing quite significantly, mainly due to the lack of affordable

housing the Bay Area and the growing gap between the rich and the poor. This makes it nearly

impossible to have a the way of living in the Bay Area many seek, meaning a nice house central

to the Bay Area’s economic activity, if someone does not meet a certain income. According to an

annual survey by the San Francisco Point-in-Time Count and Survey on Homelessness, “A four-

year trend of comparable Point-in-Time count data identified a two percent increase in the

number of persons experiencing homelessness in San Francisco between 2013 and 2017,”

(Applied Survey Research). The total number of unsheltered homeless individuals in San

Francisco as of 2017 was nearly 4,353 people.

Although women may become homeless for the same reasons as men, there are some

different reasons, as well. They include children, domestic violence, and economic barriers, i.e.

the wage gap between women and men due to women’s concentration in lower-paying jobs. As

of 2010, the median weekly earnings for women was about $155 less than men, meaning that

they are more likely to live in poverty than men (Doak). The difference in earnings between

genders already predisposes women to become homeless because they do not make as much

money as men.

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First off, healthcare is one of the largest issues that homeless women face. In an interview

with Dr. Russell Alpert and his wife Crystal Alpert, a Physician’s Assistant that specializes in

women’s health both discussed their own experiences dealing with the homeless population in

various clinics. I met them at their home in Walnut Creek where we discussed my questions over

a cup of tea and while their two daughters were quietly playing. Both of them pointed out that

health issues homeless women face are actually easily treatable, but turn into major problems

because the women wait to seek care because they are either scared, do not have the money, or

even lack the proper knowledge to know when to seek medical attention. “Many of the women

had never sought out primary care and when they become ill, they don’t usually seek help until

their condition has become too dangerous,” Dr. Russell Alpert said, “An example of this would

be many women would not get a Pap Smear and things such as cervical cancer would be

diagnosed too late to do anything to help their condition.” Timing is crucial, and other research

supports Dr. Alpert’s statements. According to a report by Johns Hopkins University’s Women’s

and Children’s Health Policy Center, 73.8 of women visiting a free medical clinic were seeking

services for a recurrence of a health problem that they had experienced within the past year and

only 58.3 percent of those had women received treatment for it before (Pañares and Silver).

Continuing, many homeless women lack the knowledge to use feminine products which

can lead to a multitude of health complications. The lack of sanitary products to deal with their

menstrual cycle or the lack of knowledge as to how to use these products can lead to Toxic

Shock Syndrome (TSS). The medical definition of TSS is a syndrome that “results from toxins

produced by Staphylococcus aureus (staph) bacteria, but the condition may also be caused by

toxins produced by group A streptococcus (strep) bacteria,” (“Toxic”). If not treated

immediately, this infection can lead to shock, renal failure, and death. Crystal Alpert, has worked

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as a physician’s assistant in a women’s health clinic in Hawaii and dealt with many cases of

improper use of feminine products. She said:

Toxic Shock Syndrome is extremely dangerous if it goes untreated. I have met a lot of
homeless women who do not know what to do and use items such as socks during their
menstrual cycle, which can lead to several other medical complications.

Although appalling, using things other than feminine products during their menstrual cycle is a

harsh reality for many homeless women today.

Lacking necessary prenatal care is also a serious issue for homeless women who are

pregnant. Without proper checkups and scans throughout a pregnancy, the mother is not only

risking the wellbeing of her child, but her own as well. Some risks that prenatal care can help to

identify and lessen or eliminate include the improper placement of the placenta which can cause

the mother to bleed out when giving birth and preeclampsia, a condition characterized by high

blood pressure and other organ damage during pregnancy which could be fatal to both the

mother and the baby if untreated. Many homeless women who become pregnant are under the

age of 20 and this can pose many threats to both the mother and the child. When a young girl

becomes pregnant before her body has fully matured, her pelvis may not be large enough to

deliver the baby safely and it becomes stuck during birth (Singer 198). Drugs are also a very

serious issue in homeless pregnancies. Mothers who are addicted to cocaine and continue using it

throughout their pregnancy pass on the addiction to the baby. Once born, the baby must go

through treatment to wean them off the substance and the baby will experience the intensity of

withdrawal because like the mother, they are addicted. Approximately 30,000 to 50,000 births

each year are babies who are born addicted to cocaine and 5 percent of them are to homeless or

poor mothers (Roleff 143). Average rates of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STD)

when homeless are much higher for women than men, and again can be life-threatening. Other

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common health problems that homeless women generally struggle with are chronic diseases,

infectious diseases, and stress/depression, smoking, nutrition, and violence (Pañares and Silver),

but these are not just limited to the female population.

Another challenge that homeless women can face is sexual predators. Being out in the

open puts women at an even greater risk of being attacked by predators. Scott Garvey, the

Member Advocate at the Trinity Center in Walnut Creek, spoke about the safety of women when

they are homeless in the front yard of the Trinity Center. He said:

It is generally more risky for them to sleep on the street. A lot of the time women get into
relationships, even the wrong ones, in order to protect themselves, creating an additional
risk. A lot of women also have large pets that can protect them as well. I have also seen
many women who are so resilient and have just hardened themselves in order to protect
themselves.

According to many studies on female homelessness, sexual and/or domestic abuse is one of the

leading causes of homelessness for women in the United States. In one report, 436 homeless

women in shelters and poorly housed women, 84 percent of those interviewed had been assaulted

at some point in their lives (“Housing”). Because sexual violence is so common in the homeless

population, many young homeless women enter the dangerous world of the sex industry in order

to support themselves, an act commonly known as “survival sex.” This act of selling their bodies

in order to make enough money to support themselves puts these women at risk for mental

disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and severe depression. They are also

4.5 times more likely to commit suicide than other homeless women (Anklesaria and Gentile).

Also, because the sex industry is unregulated puts these women are also at risk of being abused

and contracting STDS.

The final challenge that homeless women face is childcare according to Garvey. The

leading cause of single motherhood in homeless populations is domestic violence. Many women

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who are in violent relationships decide enough is enough and leave their partner with their

children. In a report done by the National Coalition for the Homeless, approximately 50 percent

of women and children experiencing homelessness got there because of domestic violence

(“Homeless”). It is not always the ideal situation for the mother and children, but it is a tough

choice that many women have to make. In another survey of 53 homeless families, 91 percent of

the families were headed by females with no male partner (Applied Survey Research). This

leaves these women to not only care for themselves but their children as well with few resources.

Ultimately, I discovered a lot about the female homeless population in my research. Like

many other people, I did not think about women’s specific challenges when I thought about the

homeless population; instead I usually thought about the homeless shelters, food insecurity, and

insufficient clothing. This paper has allowed me to dive into an area that many people do not

consider, deeply empathize with these women, and resolve to educate people on these issues.

From now on I want people to reconsider what they donate to homeless shelters. Food and

clothing are of course essential for all homeless people, but women also need feminine products

and other resources to meet their specific needs. As for healthcare, the American medical system

is not set up to take care of the homeless population for free. Many countries, such as Canada

and the United Kingdom, have systems of universal healthcare in which anyone can access

adequate medical care regardless of their socioeconomic background. These governments budget

to handle the health care of citizens in their annual budgets, and I believe that the U.S. should

implement a comparable system. The current system puts not only adults at risk, but also

children. As for safety, people need to be providing homeless women with rehabilitation

programs to treat their mental conditions and follow-up to get them back on their feet. Many

organizations already help these women, but are under funded and dependent on donations.

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Ultimately I think that many of the challenges and experiences that homeless women face are

problems that all women face; the only difference is that the homeless lack the resources to meet

them.

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Works Cited

Alpert, Crystal. PA-C. Personal Interview. 4 March 2018.

Alpert, Russ. Medical Professional. Personal Interview. 4 March 2018.

Anklesaria, Ariz, and Julie P. Gentile. “Psychotherapy with Women Who Have Worked in the

‘Sex Industry.’” Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience, Matrix Medical Communications,

Oct. 2012, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3508959/#B3. Accessed 9 Mar.

2018.

Applied Survey Research. “ 2017 San Francisco Homeless Count & Survey.” 2017.

http://hsh.sfgov.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/2017-SF-Point-in-Time-Count-General-

FINAL-6.21.17.pdf. Accessed 10 Mar. 2018.

Doak, Melissa J. "Money, Income, and Poverty." Women in American Society, 2012 ed.,

Gale, 2012. Information Plus Reference Series. Student Resources in Context,

http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ4189700105/SUIC?u=wal55317&xid=edee07bd.

Accessed 28 Feb. 2018.

Garvey, Scott. Member Advocate at Trinity Center. Personal Interview. 12 March 2018.

“Homeless Families with Children” National Coalition for the Homeless, 2009,

www.nationalhomeless.org/publications/facts/families.pdf. Accessed 10 Mar. 2018.

“Housing, Homelessness, and Sexual Violence Statistics.” National Sexual Violence

Resource Center, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, 2016,

www.nsvrc.org/sites/default/files/NSAC11_Handouts/NSAC11_Handout_With_Statistic

s.pdf. Accessed 10 Mar. 2018.

Pañares, Rea and Gillian Silver. “The Health of Homeless Women: Information for State

Maternal and Child Health Programs.” Women’s and Children’s Health Policy Center,

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Johns Hopkins University, 2000, https://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-

institutes/womens-and-childrens-health-policy-center/publications/homeless.PDF.

Accessed 9 Mar. 2018.

Roleff, Tamara L., Inner City Poverty, Greenhaven Press, 2003.

Singer, Peter, The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty, Random

House, 2009.

“Toxic Shock Syndrome.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and

Research, 4 May 2017, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/toxic-shock-

syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20355384. Accessed 10 Mar. 2018.

“What Causes Homelessness?” National Alliance to End Homelessness,

endhomelessness.org/homelessness-in-america/what-causes-homelessness/. Accessed 10

Mar. 2018.

Works Consulted

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Roberts, Kimberly. Homelessness and Women. LA Family Housing,

publichealth.lacounty.gov/owh/docs/DataReport/KimberlyRoberts.pdf. Accessed 9 Mar.

2018.

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