Does a woman’s homeless shelter have to be single sex?

[mehday]

There’s a charity in my city which seems to be in partnership with the council to provide drop ins, food and emergency beds, including one advertised as a women’s shelter. I was looking through their info for volunteering possibilities and they state that anyone identifying as female is welcome.

It has put me off a bit to be honest but I also wondered if it’s still OK to do this, ie can refuges make this choice? If they don’t state they are single sex but instead subscribe to gender identity and advertise this, is this then OK and within the law?

Sadly in terms of homelessness, many women end up in mixed sex facilities because homelessness is primarily run by councils and the go for the cheapest option possible.

More women's refuges have been closed for purely financial reasons because as far as the bean counters in the council (more than likely men) say this is not good value for money for rate payers!

This is one of the reasons so many women who are homeless try to sofa surf or even sleep on the street than going to a homeless project.

Worse still was the long used practice of "unregulated" housing nor just for homeless people, but for under age girls who are meant to be "in care" where they are at real danger of being exploited.

Unregulated means it is just a building which has not staff or support services. Recently (I think) Councils were told NOT to put underage girls in one of these properties, but suspect the practice is still happening.

There have been threads about this a while ago.

No I’m in England. I said shelter as it’s short term rather than a hostel and maybe the US has influenced my vocab! It’s also a homeless provision not DV specific.

Sadly this is still going on. See comment from earlier this week
https://todaysfamilylawyer.co.uk/why-the-lack-of-regulated-homes-puts-local-authorities-between-a-rock-and-a-hard-place/

This is an article about some of the dangers for women who are homeless.
https://www.shp.org.uk/information-hub/for-professionals/women/rough-sleeping-census/