Homeless Women: Beyond the Bag Lady Myth

This chapter reviews the literature on homeless women in four parts. The prevalence of women among the homeless and the variety of women who are homeless are discussed first. Next, the causal factors and the conditions contributing to female homelessness are reviewed, including a focus on the marginalization of women in the housing market. The third section reviews the more recent empirical research on homeless women, and the conclusion focuses upon strategies for change (author).