Women's Rough Sleeping Census Launched in Ealing
Aim is to uncover hidden homelessness in the borough
Local police officers are helping raise awareness of the census. Picture: Met Police
September 15, 2026
Organisations across the borough of Ealing have begun a week-long effort to better understand the experiences of women facing rough sleeping and hidden homelessness, as the borough takes part in the national Women’s Rough Sleeping Census from 21 to 27 September.
The initiative aims to shine a light on the realities faced by women who may not appear in traditional street counts — those who are sofa surfing, staying in unsafe or temporary accommodation, or moving frequently between insecure places. By gathering this information, local agencies hope to build a clearer picture of need and strengthen future support services.
Throughout the week, residents may notice outreach workers from Acton Homeless Concern and other partner organisations speaking with individuals across the borough. The council is reassuring residents that this activity is planned, coordinated and carried out by trained staff as part of the census.
The survey is open to women aged 18 and over who have experienced rough sleeping or hidden homelessness at any point between 1 July and 30 September. Participation is voluntary, and women can take part in whichever way feels safest — face-to-face, over the phone, online or on paper.
The census is designed to reach people who are often missed by conventional methods. Women experiencing homelessness are more likely to avoid sleeping in visible public spaces due to safety concerns, instead relying on precarious arrangements that leave them vulnerable but unseen. Local organisations hope the census will help identify these patterns and ensure services are better tailored to women’s needs.
Residents who know someone who may benefit from support are encouraged to signpost them to Acton Homeless Concern or other homelessness services involved in the census.
The council says the community’s awareness and understanding play an important role in helping some of the borough’s most vulnerable women access the assistance they need.
Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site. |