Mothers living homeless in Madrid (Spain): Characteristics, vulnerabilities and relationships with their children

Abstract

People in a homeless situation are one of the most obvious embodiments of the phenomenon of social exclusion, and women living homeless are a particularly vulnerable group. The article examines some of the differences between women who were mothers and those who had no children in a sample of women living homeless in Madrid, Spain (n = 138). The information was collected using a structured interview. The results show that the women in a homeless situation who were mothers presented extremely difficult life experiences and were a particularly vulnerable subgroup. None of the women in a homeless situation who were mothers lived with their children. The women who were mothers suffered from more chronic homelessness, slept the night in the street more frequently and were in poorer health. Furthermore, throughout their life, the women living homeless who were mothers had experienced more traumatic situations from early ages, with higher levels of psychoactive substance abuse and more problems with the legal system, which could have had a highly negative effect on their relationship and lives with their children. The different circumstances and needs of mothers in a homeless situation require the implementation of prevention and/or treatment approaches aimed at this specific subgroup.