Most men, around 40%, stay in shelters or residences compared to 25% of women who also choose this type of accommodation, according to Eustat data. There is also a great difference in the use of makeshift accommodation; this type of accommodation is used by 15% of men compared to only 1% of women.

In general, women, unlike men, hardly use solutions that put themselves more at risk, such as sleeping out in the street, in public parks, in a car…and they use long-term accommodation much more.

Women use, firstly, flats provided by NGOs and, secondly, shelters or residences. They opt for accommodation in which they can stay for a longer period: paid guesthouses, centres for abused women or the homes of relatives or friends.

Women eat more regularly than men

With regard to the midday meal, the percentage of men that do not usually have lunch is around 5%; in the case of dinner, this percentage is about 10%. For women, these percentages are lower and hardly reach 1% for the midday meal and 4% for dinner.

One in two women eat in the flat where they are lodged and around 8% of men eat food that has been bought and donated food.

39% of men state they have children compared to 68% of women

A little over half the men stated they were single compared to 38% of women. Among those surveyed who had partners, we find that 70% of men state they do not live at present with their partner compared to 19% of women.

With regard to the number of children, over half the women had two or three children compared to 35% of men.

Most of the men do not live with their children while 66% of women live with them.

Women have a higher level of income than men

46% of women possess income of over 450 euros compared to 20% of men.

The source of income changes totally between women as 28% say they receive Minimum Insertion Income (RMI) or Basic Income and for 20% their source is work. Among men, 13% claim to receive RMI or basic income and another13% recognize their main source of income to be contributions from passers by in the street.

Therefore, the source of income continues to highlight the differences that sex marks among the homeless. Men spend more time in the street and live on less stable financial resources than women.

The income for women with children comes from more diverse sources than that of women without children and we can see that they resort more often to public and family aid. In addition, women with children tend to maintain a working source of income, probably due to greater financial needs. With regard to income received, women with children again, whatever their situation might be, receive more income and therefore are more economically independent than those that have no children.

The degree of satisfaction with social services is higher among women

42% of men state they are quite or very satisfied with the service provided by social services, while among women this level of satisfaction comes to 71%.

The group of adverse circumstances that surround the life of the homeless has led to some of those affected being arrested on occasions (35%). There is also a higher percentage of men who have been arrested (41%) than of women (16.5%).