'Utterly heartbreaking': Minister responds to our stories of female rough sleeping
The Women Don't Count Documentary charts the lives of female rough sleepers, and the previously untold scale of the issue
The Minister for Housing and Homelessness has given an emotional response to the stories contained in our investigation into female rough sleeping, as she pledges to support women who find themselves living on the streets.
This week we published our Women Don't Count documentary, which charts the stories of three female rough sleepers - including one who described living in a disabled toilet for years after escaping an abusive relationship.
On hearing her story, Minister McGovern responded: "That is heartbreaking, utterly heartbreaking.
We share stories of female rough sleepers
"I think women in particular will listen to that and understand that experience of just being desperate to be safe.
"That clip makes the case for us all to be working together, the UK Government, Councils across the country and charities to work together to find better solutions than that, because that is absolutely heartbreaking."
Earlier, Solace Women's Aid, Crisis and the Single Homeless Project released the latest Women's Census, a deep dive into the scale of female rough sleeping.
It found the issue is 10 times higher than current government data suggests, averaged across more than 100 local authority areas in England.
Government commitment to tackle female rough sleeping
Minister McGovern says she wants to see more councils take part in the survey - which charities say gives a much clearer picture of the issue compared to the government's 'autumn snapshot.'
She told us: "I would call on all councils to participate in the survey. I think the evidence is incredibly important. The fact is we need more evidence and insights here so I'll be working with Solace on that."
"If you have any target, and we do in the Homelessness strategy, you want to hit the target and you want to do it in the spirit in which you meant it.
"You don't want to hit the target and miss the point, and that's why you've got to listen to all of the evidence that charities are bringing forward."
Councils encouraged to take part in Women's Census
McGovern stopped short of mandating all councils to take part, but says a series of government strategies will be the start of preventing women falling into homelessness in the first place: "The approach we're taking is increasing funding to local authorities, but also improving the advice and support we give them on how to get it right.
"We have to make sure there's help for women who've been abused and help that puts a roof over their head in a safe way - that's what we're trying to achieve with our work with councils.
"Having the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy, the Child Poverty Strategy and the Homelessness Strategy in place means that now we can get on and deliver and see those connections between supporting women, to have a decent income, to bring up their family and to have a roof over their head and making sure they're protected from violence."
Alison McGovern says that beyond the data, there are wider issues at play that are making things difficult for women, adding: "We are seeing some real problems with temporary accommodation and women and children ending up in really unsuitable accommodation.
"I think if people could see sometimes the poor quality of accommodation that children and their mums end up in they'd be just as shocked by the homelessness they can't see as the rough sleeping they see on the streets."
The full interview is appearing as part of the Women Don't Count Podcast series which charts the story of the Women's Census, and reflects the perception of female rough sleeping compared to male.
Find out more about the Women's Census.
Listen to Women Don't Count - Rough Sleeping's hidden secret - Part One on Rayo: