A dedicated accommodation hub for women experiencing or at risk of rough sleeping is set to be created in Rotherham.
Rotherham Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve plans for the plans for the women-only hub when it meets to discuss proposals for the Homelessness, Rough Sleeper and Domestic Abuse Grant on Monday 12 October.
The hub planned for October 2027 will provide safe accommodation and trauma-informed support onsite tailored to women’s needs.
It would operate in a similar way to the existing accommodation hub for men, offering a safe and stable environment with intensive support.
With no current commissioned provision, women found rough sleeping in Rotherham are often placed in hotels or bed and breakfasts, where on-site support is limited. Over the past two years, 38.5% of single women achieved a positive move-on outcome, compared with 70% of single males who stayed in the accommodation hub for men.
This new provision will be in addition to the existing women’s refuge accommodation for victims and survivors of domestic abuse. The Council would work with the successful provider and women with lived experience of homelessness to identify the right type and location for the service and help shape how it operates.
The proposal follows evidence that women experiencing homelessness can be less visible than men because they may stay in hidden and unsafe situations rather than sleep on the street.
The hub is part of a wider £639,000-a-year programme, fully funded from the Homelessness, Rough Sleeper and Domestic Abuse Grant, which includes recommissioning the existing rough sleeper accommodation hub and combining dispersed schemes into a more flexible service offering around 50 homes across the borough.
Cllr Linda Beresford, Cabinet Member for Housing at Rotherham Council, said: “Rotherham Council is committed to helping people to live well and tackling homelessness and ending rough sleeping is a priority.
“Women experiencing homelessness can be hidden from view and may remain in unsafe or precarious situations because there is no dedicated local accommodation with on-site support.
“This proposed hub would address that gap, providing a safe, women-only environment and trauma-informed support to help women regain stability, rebuild their lives and move towards independent living.”
The proposals will support Rotherham’s Homelessness Prevention and Rough Sleeper Strategy which was approved by Cabinet in May 2026 and outlines how the Council will work with partners to prevent homelessness wherever possible.
To read the full report visit: moderngov.rotherham.gov.uk/documents/s160330/Homelessness%20Prevention%20Grant%20Commissioned%20Services.pdf
