Vulnerable women, precarious safety nets: unpacking when and why the welfare state fails to protect women from and during homelessness

J. Timo Weishaupt

Chapter 2 in Homelessness in Affluent Societies, 2026, pp 32-46 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Social science studies show remarkably well that the biographies of women experiencing homelessness are often shaped by violence and trauma, while their coping strategies typically involve one-sided dependencies and a need to accept and adapt to abusive circumstances. There is far less research, however, into why the welfare state is limited or even unable to help these women overcome their predicament. Conceptualizing vulnerability and precarity in a novel way, this chapter applies a critical, gender-sensitive and intersectional perspective on the (municipal) welfare state and homelessness support system, and by doing so, systematically illuminates why and where there are gaps in service provision and why existing services (partially) fail to reach vulnerable women. The empirical basis is formed by over 90 interviews conducted with people affected by homelessness and experts from the support system between 2020 and 2024.

Keywords: Homelessness; Vulnerability; Precarization; Gender; Intersectionality; Social Policy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2026
ISBN: 9781035357260
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