Being a Woman, a Mother, and Alone: The Triple Challenge of Accessing Housing

To mark International Women’s Day 2025, Fundació Hàbitat3 outline the challenges single mothers face in securing a home.

For Maria, finding affordable housing seemed like an impossible mission. She became a mother at a very young age due to a relationship with an abusive partner and had no support or family network. Securing a social rental apartment through Hàbitat3 changed her life.

Today, accessing affordable housing is a structural issue in our society. However, if you are a woman, alone, and have children to care for, it can become an almost insurmountable barrier. The economic, employment, and social difficulties these women face put them in a highly vulnerable situation when trying to access and maintain a decent home.

According to data from INE and Provivienda, 1 in 3 households led by women experience relative poverty after paying for housing, with costs reaching up to 60% of their income in the case of rental housing.

Single-parent families: A particularly vulnerable group

Cases like Maria’s are common among Hàbitat3’s tenants. In fact, one key statistic highlights the challenges these women face in securing a home: 37% of the family units housed by Hàbitat3 are single-parent families. This percentage is higher than the 32% of nuclear families or the 18% of people living alone.

To better understand this reality, we can compare it with general data: in Spain, only 10.4% of families are single-parent households. This means that, within Hàbitat3, this group is more than three times as prevalent as in society as a whole.

A single-parent family is defined as one where one or more children live with a single adult who is their primary financial provider. While the definition does not specify whether the parent is the mother or father, the reality is clear: 81% of single-parent families in Spain are led by women. At Hàbitat3, this percentage is even higher—93% of the single-parent families housed in our apartments consist of mothers and their children.

A Home to Start Over

Maria is one of the 237 single mothers living in Hàbitat3 apartments. For many of them, having access to housing is the opportunity to start anew and build a better life. A secure home means having a place to rest, share meals, and create memories with their children.

Housing provides the stability needed to face life’s challenges, yet for many of these women, making ends meet remains difficult, even with a social rent. The average income of single mothers renting from Hàbitat3 is €698.37—nearly €100 less than men. Of this, they allocate an average of €169.51 to rent, leaving them with just over €500 per month to cover all essential expenses: food, utilities, and childcare costs.

At Hàbitat3, we support them in improving their financial management, fostering good habits, and promoting their inclusion in the community. One of our goals is to encourage their participation in local networks, such as school parent associations, neighborhood activities, or other support systems.

A Tool for Empowerment

Maria is certain: gaining access to this home has allowed her to educate her daughter and, at the same time, educate herself. Today, she manages her income better, has developed new habits, and has built a support network to ensure her daughter grows up in a safe environment.

At Hàbitat3, we believe that housing provides dignity and is a fundamental right that opens doors to many others. But beyond being a right, for many women raising children alone, access to housing is a tool for empowerment. Unfortunately, for many, this right still seems out of reach.

That’s why we advocate for structural measures to reduce job insecurity, ensure work-life balance, and protect women in vulnerable situations. Bold housing policies are also needed to build a fairer and more equal society.

This blog was first published here on International Women’s Day 2025