Factors contributing to Homelessness Among Women in Pretoria

Abstract

This study explored the contributory factors to homelessness among women, their experiences, coping strategies, and barriers to service access among homeless women, with a focus on understanding the structural and individual factors that contribute to and sustain homelessness. The research was guided by a qualitative approach, allowing for an in-depth exploration of participants lived experiences. An exploratory research design was used, with non-probability snowball sampling employed to select 15 participants between the ages of 18 and 35. The study used semi-structured interview guide to collect data from the participants with thematic content employed to analyse data following steps of data analysis. The findings revealed that women’s homelessness was shaped by a complex interplay of structural inequalities, including poverty, gender-based violence, lack of affordable housing, and limited access to social protection systems. Early-life adversities such as childhood abuse, neglect, and unstable family environments were found to significantly influence participants’ life trajectories, contributing to long-term vulnerability to homelessness in adulthood. The study further found that homeless women faced multiple barriers in accessing services, including a lack of legal documentation, institutional constraints, stigma, safety concerns, and fragmented service delivery systems. These barriers often discouraged women from seeking assistance, thereby reinforcing their exclusion from formal support structures. In response to these challenges, participants adopted a range of coping and survival strategies, including informal income-generating activities, reliance on social and spiritual networks, emotional detachment, avoidance behaviours, and adaptation to street life. While some coping strategies demonstrated resilience and resourcefulness, others, such as substance use and survival sex, were found to have both adaptive and harmful consequences, often perpetuating cycles of homelessness and vulnerability. The study concluded that homelessness among women was not merely a result of individual circumstances but was deeply rooted in structural and systemic inequalities. It highlighted the need for integrated, gender-responsive, and trauma-informed interventions that address both immediate survival needs and long-term reintegration. The findings underscored the importance of coordinated service delivery, improved access to housing and healthcare, and strengthened psychosocial and social work support systems. Overall, the study contributed to a deeper understanding of women’s homelessness as a multidimensional and cyclical phenomenon requiring comprehensive policy and practice responses.