Income and State Benefits for Women Living Homeless in Madrid, Spain

Abstract

People in a situation of homelessness represent one of the major manifestations of the phenomenon of social exclusion, with women living homeless constituting a collective in a position of particular vulnerability. This article examines a sample of women living homeless in Madrid, Spain (n = 136), their main sources of income, and their access to economic benefits from the government. It also analyzes the differences between participants based on whether they are in receipt of such benefits. A structured interview was used to gather the information. The results show the difficulties experienced by women living homeless in Madrid in accessing income and their limited access to state benefits, which amount to such a meager economic sum that they are insufficient to access independent housing. Differences in access to state benefits are examined based on variables such as age, nationality, length of time homeless, substance abuse, and suffering from a disability.