Sex workers

There is limited data about the number of sex workers who are homeless. However, many sex workers have complex needs, relating to their housing situation, drugs, alcohol and poor mental and physical health. As a result, any solution is likely to require the involvement of more than one agency.

Secure accommodation can be a crucial part of supporting people to exit sex work, however the number of housing providers who are able to support this level of needs is often too low. For an overview of the lack of such accommodation, see the Shelter report Off the Streets: Tackling Homelessness among Female Street Based Sex Workers.

POLICY CONTEXT

The Home Office issued a report Tackling the Demand for Prostitution in November 2008 on how best to reduce demand for prostitution. The report contains five main recommendations, including the criminalization of paying for sex with someone who is coerced or controlled into selling sex, and allowing prosecution for a first offence of kerb crawling.

In July 2006 the Home Office released a prostitution strategy which laid out the ways it wants communities to tackle prostitution, as well as the results of the ‘Paying the Price’ consultation. One of the main findings was the need to change attitudes towards prostitution, and the importance of prevention in the prostitution strategy.

SOLUTIONS

For homelessness agencies working with this client group, key barriers to service provision include the complexity and embedded nature of need, and the challenges in supporting sex workers out of the cycle of dependency.

It is important to try to understand the factors which lead to individuals becoming involved with sex work, and to provide a consistent, holistic approach over a long timescale. Providing access to supported accommodation and drug treatment, reducing demand and tackling off-street prostitution are also important parts of addressing this issue.

In May 2008 London based charity Broadway published, 'A review of services for street-based sex working women in Lambeth'. Based on interviews with sex workers and providers, the report discusses ways in which change and exit from sex work can be understood and supported. It found that key steps to supporting this change included:

  • knowing where to go for help
  • a safe, secure place to live
  • managing health, increasing well being
  • increased self esteem/hope for increasing experience of a meaningful ‘normal’ life
  • readiness for change.

FURTHER INFORMATION