Fear, romance and transience in the lives of homeless women

Abstract

This paper takes up the question of what it means to be a woman who lives on the streets and in hostels as a homeless person in London. Using qualitative data from three women respondents, the analysis focuses upon their reasons for becoming and staying homeless. We address issues concerning the women's perceptions of danger and safety on the streets, the way they construct their role as women in this situation and their options for alternative ways of living in the future. We point up the strategies used by these women to survive on the streets (to remain transient), and relate these to discussions of women's occupancy of public space and their scope to claim equal regard among women in general.