Lifting the ‘Invisible’ veil through architecture: transitioning unhoused women in Northeastern Ontario through an intersectional lens

Abstract

This thesis investigates the scale of womens’ hidden houselessness and poverty, and aims to prove that houselessness is not gender neutral and women have distinct needs when it comes to services and housing. The rise in the visibility of unhoused men has led to a policy and service environment that heavily favors men, which has resulted in women’s houselessness becoming invisible to the public and the service system. Using an intersectional feminist approach, this thesis is an architectural response to hidden houseless womens’ unique needs in a caring and sensitive way through creating a woman-centered place in an urban city like Sudbury and an integration of a drop-in centre with its support services hub, supportive housing along with public programs and employment opportunities to promote women’s empowerment, their physical and mental recovery and, most importantly, to foster independent living. Using trauma-informed design, it aims to shift the focus from housing to ultimately healing women by promoting dignity and hope.