00:00Shelter says its women's rough sleeping census was designed to reveal forms of homelessness that often remain hidden from traditional
00:07street counts.
00:08During one week of research in September 2025, volunteers and staff looked for women in places where they may seek
00:15safety overnight,
00:16including transport hubs, hospital waiting areas and other locations open around the clock.
00:22The team also contacted local charities and frontline services, such as food banks and drug and alcohol support teams.
00:30To gather information about women who might not appear in official statistics.
00:34Across Newcastle, researchers identified 144 women who had experienced homelessness or had no safe place to stay at some point
00:42during the previous three months.
00:44Shelter says the figure was higher than expected and highlights what it describes as the scale of hidden need.
00:50The charity says many women avoid sleeping visibly on the streets because of safety fears, instead moving between temporary places
00:57or staying with others.
00:58Ten women involved in the study said they had been sleeping rough every night for the previous three months.
01:05Newcastle City Council says its own data for the same period recorded 16 women sleeping rough,
01:10though the figures are not directly comparable because the methods used were different there.
01:15Campaigners say better information may help councils plan safer accommodation and support, tailored specifically for women experiencing homelessness.
01:22Shelter says the census will also be carried out by other North East councils to build a clearer regional picture
01:28of women's homelessness.
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