I did a quick search and didn’t see anything that looked like this has been asked before, so here goes.
Why is it that it at least -appears- that the overwhelming majority of homeless people are male? Are there any reliable estimates of the gender of homeless. Well, more accurately, homeless and not in any kind of shelter, etc. Just on the streets. If there are more male homeless, what might be the causes of same (more war, mental illness, more prone to addictions or something else? )
Many of the homeless men panhandle and what-not for food, booze, etc. They can look mighty bad sometimes. I don’t recall seeing a panhandling woman, do you? Please please don’t tell me that they turn to prostitution, because if the women look anywhere near as bad as the men…yikes!
Long winded way of saying I saw a long-haired homeless man the other day and briefly mistook him for a woman. Then it occured to me that I could not recall ever seeing a homeless woman out on the streets.
Actually, people often say (and I don’t know where they get this) that there’s a huge number of homeless women but that they’re relatively invisbile; they live in cars or shelters. Like I said, I have no idea where people get this; I never see them in the library or any other day hangouts for homeless people. Perhaps they have menial jobs as hotel housekeeping and such; I don’t know, but I’d like to know what the pattern really is. I don’t think I’ve seen an actual bag lady in years.
I work in San Francisco which has a large number of homeless people. Plenty of them are women.
No hard data on this but I remember reading (and it seems reasonable) that it’s pretty dangerous to be a single woman out on the streets - in addition to all the other dangers they have to look out for rape. This might make homeless women careful about being visible, so they may spend more time closer to shelters, off the streets whenever possible, or simply covered up enough that at first glance you’d think she is a man.
Homeless people seem to come and go in my area, but the only one I’ve seen living here for the entire six years I’ve been in this neighborhood is a woman.
I too notice a huge gender disparity in the homeless population of D.C. I’d guess it’s for the reasons Valgard suggests. Also, perhaps the service provider orgs make more room for women for the same reasons.
Come here to Santa Cruz, there are plenty of homeless women.
There are are a whole bunch of factors for why there are less homeless women on the streets. The article, despite it’s wierd bias, brought up some good points.
First off, women are much more likely to be taking care of children. And if you don’t have children, you pretty much can’t get any aid except for food stamps and disability. There is no government welfare of any sort for able-bodied single people.
And then there are social reasons. Women have an easier time finding people who will take care of them. They are more likely to be welcomed back to their families or finding someone that will take them in. Why? Maybe they are seen as more venurable, less of a threat, or more important to protect. Maybe they are just more willing to ask for help.
Then there are physical differences. Women are much less susceptible to schitzophrenia and several other major mental illnesses.
Finally, there is an element of choice. Not even a fraction of homeless people choose to be homeless, but here where the weather is warm, it really is considered an okay way to live. There is a long and noble tradition of men going out on their own and living off the land and itenierent labor. There is no tradition of this for women. The homeless live a life without comfort, but with ultimate freedom, free from the bonds of work and society. There is a certain appeal to it, and men are more likely to see it as a workable option than women.
Huge numbers of homeless Americans are veterans, who are obviously overwhelmingly male.
I’d also point out that many homeless are drug users and a very common way that hit-bottom drug using females get the cash is via prostitution, which frequently involves a combo pusher/pimp/“boyfriend” who provides conditional housing.
(unless I am very much mistaken) The word ‘gender’ is incorrect in this context. The word ‘gender’ pertains only to words (ie she and her are words of female gender, he and him are words of the male gender). The word ‘sex’ means the same thing and is used in the same way however it pertains to animals.
Skellington I didn’t know that but it seems as though that is the primary definition of gender though the context in which it is used here is also mentioned. Check out this site
Crandolph I’d like to know where you got the information that “huge numbers” of homeless men are veterans. Are there any statistics for that? Just curious. I know it’s a common assumption but I’ve never heard any real numbers. Combat veterans? Is it mental illness associated with combat like post traumatic stress disorder that could be a cause.
On a personal note my van was stolen one night after a gig (I’m a musician) by a homeless woman. I left it unlocked while I went back into the club to get paid. She got in and rooted around in my stuff until she found the extra set of keys. My purse was in there too.
Fortunately it was recovered with all my gear in it and my purse. Good thing for me she was to crazy to realize that she was driving around with about $10000 worth of instruments and musical gear.