From early reformers who fought for safer living conditions to today’s professionals, women have shaped social work and housing advocacy.
We carry on their legacy at BEDS.
During Women’s History Month and Social Work Month, their legacy continues in the work of our housing advocates, case managers, outreach teams, and community partners who help individuals and families experiencing homelessness move forward.
Women make up a significant part of our team and our clients. We help individuals and families navigate domestic violence, financial crises, housing loss and the instability that follow
In FY25:
- 54% of our clients were women
- 53% of households served were headed by single-adult households, the majority led by women
- 654 clients had survived domestic violence
Behind each number is a story — a mother needing housing for her family, a woman rebuilding after fleeing domestic violence, a family recovering from a recent crisis or hardship, or someone taking the first steps to reimagining their future.
Research explains why housing support is so critical. Nearly half of women in the United States will experience intimate partner violence during their lifetime*, and they are four times more likely to experience homelessness than those who do not.**
Concurrently, studies show that women experiencing homelessness report past physical or sexual violence, with domestic violence frequently cited as a direct cause of housing insecurity.***
Federal housing research has also consistently shown that women, particularly single mothers, are among the households most vulnerable to housing instability when income changes, safety concerns, or family disruptions occur.****
Economic realities also play a role. Women, particularly single mothers, often face wage gaps, childcare responsibilities, and limited access to affordable housing. When an unexpected hardship occurs, whether it is job loss, medical issues, or leaving an unsafe household, housing instability can follow quickly.*****
Our Work for Women
These realities underlie the need for housing programs, supportive programs and social work.
In the late 1800s and early 1900s, reformers such as Jane Addams and other settlement house leaders recognized that safe housing, access to services, and strong community networks were essential to helping families move out of poverty. Their work helped shape the foundations of modern social work and housing advocacy
Much of our leadership team and board are women, continuing a long tradition of women leading efforts to strengthen communities, expand housing access, and support families in need.
BEDS Plus ensures that individuals and families facing housing insecurity and homelessness are not alone. Through outreach, prevention programs, emergency shelter, and supportive housing services, staff work alongside clients to regain stable housing and rebuild their lives.
Transitional Housing offers individuals and families a stable place to live while they work toward long-term goals. Participants remain in housing for 12 to 24 months and receive case management, employment support, financial education, and practical life-skills coaching, guidance they may have never been exposed to before. This environment gives families the space to reset, recover and regain independent housing.
The story of women in housing and social work is still being written, breaking cycles of poverty and creating stability for the next generation.
BEDS honors the women we work for, with, and because of, the pioneers who shaped the field of social work, the staff continuing that work today, and the women finding a new path forward through our programs.
Sources
* National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV). Domestic Violence Statistics.
https://ncadv.org/statistics
** National Alliance to End Homelessness. Domestic Violence and Homelessness.
https://endhomelessness.org
*** National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). Domestic Violence, Housing Instability, and Homelessness.
https://nnedv.org
**** Sources: U.S. Census Bureau; National Low Income Housing Coalition; National Network to End Domestic Violence; Center for American Progress.
***** U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Family Homelessness and Housing Instability Research.
https://www.huduser.gov