A systematic integrative review of international policies for women experiencing homelessness

Abstract

This systematic review evaluates policies, programmes and strategies from the literature targeting homeless or at-risk women, severely affected by gender and class inequality. Following PRISMA guidelines (2020), the review focused on English, Spanish and Portuguese articles from the past 20 years, excluding documents without full-text access. Grey literature was also included to reduce bias. The search concluded on 31 May 2023, covering Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus and Cochrane, resulting in 40 included documents (31 articles, two book chapters and seven reports). Thematic analysis identified five categories: gender-blind homeless policies, challenges in policies on homelessness among women, preventive programmes, emergency aid and long-term housing services. The findings emphasise the need for gender-specific and intersectional policies and the inclusion of homeless women in policy development. Despite limitations like potential publication bias and limited geographical representation, this study highlights the challenges faced by homeless women and recommends policy approaches to address their needs.