Women sleeping rough are still being excluded from official homelessness statistics because Government counting methods fail to reflect how women experience homelessness, a major new report has warned.

The Women's Rough Sleeping Census 2025, led by Single Homeless Project and Solace alongside Crisis and Change Grow Live, found up to 10 times more women sleeping rough in some areas than official government snapshot counts recorded.

Across 101 local authorities, the census identified 1,406 women sleeping rough – compared to just 435 in official figures. In six local authorities, including Enfield, Haringey and Rochdale, official counts recorded zero women sleeping rough, while the census found 162.

The report found that 65% of women surveyed had slept in places excluded from official counts – such as buses, A&E waiting rooms and public transport – or had stayed awake through the night to avoid violence and exploitation.

The coalition behind the census is calling on the Government to update its 2010 definition of rough sleeping, fund a national rollout of the gender-informed census methodology, and ensure homelessness services are made safe and accessible for women.

Paula Barker MP said: ‘Women are not absent from our streets – they are absent from the data.’

‘We cannot end homelessness while continuing to ignore the women hiding in plain sight,’ she added.

Camden Council Cabinet Member for Better Homes and Homelessness Prevention, Cllr Anna Wright, said: ‘In Camden, we recognise that women experiencing homelessness are too often unseen, despite facing some of the most complex challenges. Participating in the Women’s Rough Sleeping Census since it began has helped us to better understand those challenges, to identify more women who are experiencing homelessness and to tailor the support we provide to them.’