Concerns are growing over the safety of homeless women placed in mixed-sex hostels, hotels, and bed and breakfast establishments, where the male-to-female ratio can reach as high as 14 to one. Advocates warn that such environments heighten the risk of sexual assault and exploitation.

A newly submitted petition to the Scottish Parliament is urging the Scottish Government to reform and properly fund homeless services to ensure women are safeguarded from “predatory sexual assault and sexual exploitation.”

The call for change is backed by the Alba Party’s housing policy group, which supports the creation of single-sex emergency accommodation tailored to women’s specific needs.

Between 2020 and 2023, 164 homeless women were recorded as having died in Scotland—an increase of 15% compared to the 142 deaths recorded prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, up to the end of 2019. The figures, compiled by the National Records of Scotland (NRS), include women who died while sleeping rough or in temporary accommodation such as hotels, B&Bs, and short-term flats. However, campaigners believe the true number may be even higher, as death certificates do not record homelessness explicitly, making accurate tracking difficult.

In Glasgow, council records from February show that only 16% of the 1,917 people housed in emergency hotels or B&B accommodation were women.

The petition was launched by 38-year-old Glasgow-based translator Laura Jones, who has personally experienced homelessness. Now lead campaigner for the Scottish Tenants Organisation (STO), Jones is calling for women and children to be urgently moved out of unsafe temporary settings like hotels and B&Bs.

“We welcome the fact that political organisations are starting to recognise the urgency of protecting single-sex spaces,” Jones said. “The STO urges all parties to prioritise the safety and lives of women. In 2025, increasing numbers of women and children are becoming homeless, and they urgently need state protection.”