Paloma Fernández-

Fernández-Rasines
Tamara Gámez Ramos
Social Work Department
Public University of Navarre, UPNa
Pamplona, Spain
paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es
Homelessness definition
European Tipology of Homelessness and
Housing Exclusion, ETHOS (2008)
Androcentrism: male-centered Home≠Roof –
lessness
Gender discrimination and feminization of
poverty
Gender and housing deprivation in Spain
Homelessness from a gender perspective
Homeless Women: stigma and violence
Public housing policies under scrutiny: public
and other social iniciatives in Spain

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 2
2008: EU calls for a consensus conference on
homelessness, HL
FEANTSA (European Federation of National
Associations Working with the Homeless
AISBL) proposes a new typology for HL
European Typology of Homelessness and
housing exclusion (ETHOS)
ETHOS allows a variety of housing deprivation
categories emerge other than merely roofless
situations

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 3
Rooflessness (without a shelter of any kind,
sleeping rough)
Houselessness (with a place to sleep but
temporary in institutions or shelter)
Living in insecure housing (threatened with
severe exclusion due to insecure tenancies,
eviction, domestic violence)
Living in inadequate housing (in caravans on
illegal campsites, in unfit housing, in extreme
overcrowding).

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 4
Prior to ETHOS, analysis on Homelessness
was mainly dealt as Roofleessness male
centered
Taking this restrictive approach into account,
data from Spain would show that men were
overrepresented as much as the 80% among
people living:
◦ Rough
◦ in the streets
◦ In public spaces and/or
◦ with no usual overnight shelter.

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 5
Former Special Relator on Adequate
Housing from the UN pointed out that
gender discrimination weakens women
in their access to adequate and secure
living (Koothari, 2006)
This is closely related to feminization of
poverty:
◦ gender gap in job market
◦ unequal access to housing tenure
◦ female headed households
paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 6
The new ETHOS typology offers a
broader scope of research Data on
women come up to be considered
Gámez (2012): As for Spain, using
ETHOS categories shows women to be
the most affected group of people
living
◦ Houseless: temporary, institutions
◦ Living in insecure conditions: violence

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 7
From 2008 financial crisis and economic contraction
women arise to be seen as mainly affected by housing
deprivation
Methodology: qualitative approach based on
ethnographic fieldwork, 2012 in Navarre (Northern
Spain), focus groups and interviews to men and women
living in situations that may be considered as
Inadecuate, Insecure housing, Homeless and Roofless
Some results already confirm how
insecure housing and living conditions
exposes women to any forms of violence, including
gender-
gender-based

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 8
Meaning of “home”: cultural gender atributions
differ public/private space
Structural factors: women became vulnerable as a
result of gender inbalance
HL women: guilt and stigma hidden
homelessness
HL women and violence (Herrero, 2002)
◦ 1/3 of HLW as victim of rape
◦ Specially exposed to any kind of violence
◦ Gender violence and sexual abuse as the startpoint for
HL trail
When including battered women shelter, HLW
arise as a 50% in Spain (INE, 2005), 56% in
Navarre (Gámez, 2012)

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 9
This research supports the idea that
public policies lack a gender perspective
when dealing with housing exclusion
Public housing policies should be
revised:
◦ from male centered to gender inclusive
approach
◦ from merely housing provision to structural
inclusion (multidimensional approach)

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 10
Supported housing by Public Administration
in Navarre (Gámez, 2012)
◦ Not to affordable: barely a 10% of demand
is covered. Severe shortages
◦ Mainly mortgage bond: just a 15% rental
Shelter programs
◦ mixed public-private management
◦ Short term, transitional
◦ Gender roles taken for granted

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 11
Cooperative housing (1999)
◦ trade union experiences
◦ Community based not to extended
Platform of people affected by de subprime
mortgage crisis, PAH (2009)
◦ Grassroot organization movement
◦ Eviction against campaing: legislative iniciative for
Nonrecourse debt (mortgage debt forgiveness after
eviction)
Social mortgage mediation programs (2012):
◦ Public and private non- profit organization mediate
for delay, unpaid mortgage or even rehousing options
after eviction

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 12
This research supports the idea that public
policies need a gender perspective when
dealing with housing exclusion
Social housing policies in Spain should be
revised from merely housing provision to
structural inclusive approach
Fostering specific housing mediation
programs is a must when eviction orders
have dramatically risen as a crisis outcome
being women specially affected

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 13
FEANTSA (2010) “Gender Perspectives on Homelessness”. The
Magazine of The European Federation of National Organizations
Working with the Homeless AISBL. Spring, 2010
GÁMEZ, T. (2012) “Personas sin hogar en la Comarca de Pamplona.
Un análisis de género del sinhogarismo” Trabajo Fin de Máster.
Máster de Intervención Social, Universidad Pública de Navarra. Dir,.
Fernández-Rasines, P. , 25 June, 2012
HERRERO, I. (2002) “Mujeres sin hogar y violencia de género. La
triple invisibilidad. Asociación Realidades” Cuadernos de Trabajo
Social, 16: 265-268
KOOTHARI, M. (2006) “La mujer y la vivienda adecuada”. Informe del
Relator Especial sobre una vivienda adecuada como elemento
integrante del derecho a un nivel de vida adecuado y sobre el
derecho de no discriminación a este respecto”. UN Report .E/CN
4/2003/55.

paloma.fernandez@unavarra.es 14