Next Monday – 3rd February – Anawim’s Accommodation Caseworker will be making a bed outside for the night to raise awareness of the many issues around women’s housing. Aneesa Akbar is joining Lianne Kirkman from the Esther Project on one of her 10 nights sleeping rough. They’ll be completing the challenge at our centre in Balsall Heath.
Problems with housing affect the majority of women who come through Anawim’s doors. Insecure housing, exempt HMOs meaning women are sharing with potentially violent men, the change of Helen Dixon House in Moseley to be mixed sex: all are having an effect. We now provide “kettle only” food bank parcels for the increasing number of women housed in hotels and similar short-term accommodation.
We are increasingly seeing street homeless women, who choose to take their chances outside in the elements rather than sleep inside somewhere they feel is more dangerous. The proportion of women released from prison into homelessness is increasing too, up now to 13%. We also know that Domestic abuse is the second most common cause of homelessness in Birmingham. Less than a third of women and children seeking refuge in an emergency could access refuge accommodation.
Aneesa said: “Insecure and unsafe housing is a massive issue for the women who come into our centre. I hope this sleepout will make more people consider the risks some women have to take every day.”
If you want to support Aneesa, and our work, you can sponsor her here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/aneesa-akbar-1737571949331
