Homelessness among women in York Region is mainly hidden, but the reality is more than 10,000 single women lived in poverty in York Region in 2006.
Single women in York Region are more than 3 times as likely to be living in poverty as other people in York Region.
Each year, in York Region, over 100 women are turned away from shelters for violence against women, because they don't meet the criteria, and they're turned away from family shelters because they are single (and without children). So, if a single woman is homeless, where can she go in York Region? The answer is NOWHERE. Currently, there are NO beds allocated to homeless women in York Region. As hard as it may be to believe, many of these women live under bridges, in their cars, in the bush or in other unsafe situations, with no access to personal hygiene products, a hot shower or clean clothes.
