Single Sex Services
We recognise that women experience distinct pathways into and through homelessness, often shaped by trauma, abuse, and sex based inequality.
Women are more likely to experience homelessness in ways that remain hidden. While women make up 15% of recorded rough sleepers, research suggests this significantly underestimates the true scale of women’s rough sleeping, as many women avoid sleeping in visible places to protect themselves from violence and exploitation.
The health impacts can also be devastating. 74% of women experiencing homelessness have a physical health issue, while 64% experience mental health issues. The average age of death for a woman experiencing homelessness is just 43.
At The Purfleet Trust, we recognise that supporting women effectively means understanding the experiences that can contribute to homelessness and the barriers women may face when trying to move forward. For this reason, we provide single‑sex services for women (based on biological sex), offering safe spaces, trauma‑aware support, and specialist staff to ensure we meet the needs of the women who use our services.
We also offer inclusive support pathways for trans and gender‑diverse people through our wider services, ensuring everyone can access appropriate, respectful support.
Women’s Rise Project
In 2026, we launched our Women’s Rise project alongside an enhanced support programme.
Over a third of our clients our women, so we established this project in recognition that women often experience homelessness differently to men. Many have experienced trauma, domestic abuse, exploitation, poor mental health or other complex challenges that require support tailored to their individual experiences.
Women’s Rise is a safe, welcoming space where women can come as they are. There is no expectation that someone must have everything figured out before they walk through the door. This dedicated programme gives women experiencing or at risk of homelessness the opportunity to feel heard, valued and empowered to take positive steps forward.
Alongside this support, we aim to provide a variety of engaging activities, including wellbeing-focused and practical workshops – all shaped by the women we support. While these activities reflect our participants’ interests and needs, they also help to build confidence and skills to move forward on a positive pathway out of homelessness, whilst working at the individual’s pace recognising that progress does not always happen in a straight line.
Through the Rise project, women can access support around areas such as:
Women’s Houses
The Purfleet Trust currently manage three Women’s Houses in King’s Lynn. Our Women’s Houses are part of our Pathway Training House project in which we provide supported HMO accommodation to people with intensive support needs.
Our Training Houses are designed to provide people who have experienced homelessness with the practical support needed to prepare for independent living. During their time as a resident, they are supported by an Independent Living Coach to help them on their unique journey, working towards securing their own tenancy.
Many of the women we support have experienced complex trauma, including domestic abuse, so we are determined that our Women’s Houses provide a safe, female-only space for them to move forward with confidence, skills and security.