Since 2001, the Downtown Women’s Action Coalition (DWAC) has administered 1,687 surveys, providing crucial demographic information, population trends, and indicators of need for service providers, policy makers, and the general public.

The 2016 Downtown Women's Needs Assessment is a community-based research project conducted by the Downtown Women's Action Coalition every three years. It is the sixth in a series of comprehensive surveys on the needs, characteristics, and conditions facing homeless and extremely low-income women living in downtown Los Angeles. This year, three hundred and seventy-one surveys were collected on five main topics: Demographics, Housing, Healthcare, Violence Against Women, and Community Resources.

The Action Agenda in the final section presents solutions to some of the most pressing issues facing women in downtown Los Angeles. Additionally, each section of the report highlights existing programs and solutions that have proven effective in addressing poverty and ending homelessness for women.

Five main topics:

Demographics:

This year’s needs assessment demographic data shows women in Skid Row are far more likely to be older and African-American than women in LA County, suggesting these groups experience homelessness and extreme poverty at disproportionately high levels.

Housing:

In 2016, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) homeless count report found there are an estimated 46,874 individuals, 14,461 of them women, experiencing homelessness on a given night in Los Angeles county — a 5.7% increase from 2015.

Healthcare:

Consistent with previous needs assessment surveys, this year’s results show health continues to be a top concern among women in skid row. Healthcare, including medical, mental health, dental care, vision, and hearing, ranked third on the list of resources most needed to improve the downtown community.

Violence Against Women:

National research shows that domestic violence is one of the main drivers into homelessness for women. When women leave their homes to escape a violent environment, they often have nowhere else to turn. Due to a lack of safe, affordable housing options, these women are often forced to choose between remaining with their abuser, or becoming homeless. 

Community Resources: 

Though this year’s survey results highlighted several areas where service improvements are needed, respondents identified some encouraging trends as well.