‘Room, $1, available for young, quiet, shy lady willing to have casual times’: Hundreds of advertisements offer homeless women a roof over their heads in exchange for sex
- Ads on Craigslist target homeless women offering shelter in exchange for sex
- Homeless numbers in Sydney have seen an increase by 50 per cent since 2011
- Women are ‘vulnerable to exploitation’ when they require shelter
A shocking amount of advertisements have been found online in Australia offering homeless women a roof over their heads in exchange for sex.
The ads appear on Craigslist to help women who need a roof over their heads and accommodation is offered for as little as $1, but that comes with strings attached.
Homeless women are being targeted with offers of rooms in exchange for sex (stock image)
This advertisement appeared on Craigslist on July 11 but has since been removed
‘$1 room available for young, quiet, shy lady in Glenroy. Have spare double bedroom for young quiet, shy lady, any nationality who keeps to herself, who is willing to have casual times with 55yo quiet straight guy,’ appeared on Craigslist on July 11, but has since been removed.
A young girl who became homeless at 16 said she has accepted accommodation from men and was not aware of the expectations when she moved in.
‘If a guy offers you a place to sleep, they’re not being nice,’ the girl told news.com.au.
‘They’re doing that because they want to have sex with you because you’re vulnerable at the time.’
Dr Juliet Watson, a social worker and lecturer in Urban Housing and Homelessness at Melbourne’s RMIT University, has interviewed 15 homeless women from ages 18-25.
She said the women are extremely vulnerable to exploitation when they require shelter.
‘We know all homelessness is pretty dangerous, but for women there is an extra dimension of sexual violence,’ Dr Watson told news.com.au.
She also said women usually remain in toxic relationships because it provides them protection from not being exploited elsewhere.
She also said women usually remain in toxic relationships because it provides them protection from not being exploited elsewhere (stock image)
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