A new resource launched by Birmingham City Council and Spring Housing Association this month is shining a long-overdue light on the vital issue of how people experiencing homelessness are impacted by period poverty, and what frontline organisations can do to support them with dignity.
The Period Literacy Toolkit, authored by Thea Raisbeck, Head of Research and Best Practice at Spring Housing, was created in partnership with Public Health to help organisations across sectors become more period aware by breaking down stigma, improving access to menstrual products, and embedding period dignity into everyday service delivery.
At its heart is a simple but powerful principle: no one should face embarrassment, isolation or poor health simply because they’re menstruating without support. And yet for people experiencing homelessness, that’s an everyday reality.
|| “Access to period products is a human right and a matter of dignity,” the toolkit states. “For those experiencing homelessness or hardship, these effects are often amplified.” ||
Why it matters
Periods are often a hidden part of the homelessness experience, but one with very real consequences. People who are rough sleeping, sofa surfing, or staying in temporary accommodation often lack access to clean, safe facilities. Many don’t have reliable access to pads, tampons, or pain relief. For some, managing a period can mean missing appointments, avoiding services, or feeling unable to leave the place they’re staying.
And because menstruation is still surrounded by stigma, it’s often hard to ask for help, especially in services that aren’t used to talking about periods, or where staff feel uncomfortable raising the issue.
The toolkit recognises this and puts it plainly:
|| “Period inequality should not be treated as a niche issue—it is a cross-cutting concern that impacts health, housing, education, and employment outcomes.” ||
Motivation behind this toolkit
Thea Raisbeck shared with Street Support Network how this toolkit came to be.
“We were really pleased to be able to partner with Public Health to create this vital resource.
I had been researching around women’s experiences of homelessness in Birmingham for several years prior to beginning work on the Toolkit. Whilst periods and period poverty were often woven into women’s testimonies, these concerns were often peripheral to overall concerns around safety and access to adequate accommodation.
It wasn’t until I was asked by colleagues at Birmingham City Council to carry out a scoping exercise on period poverty in the homelessness sector, and specifically access to period products, that I began to realise how far beyond basic access to supply the issues around period poverty extended.
I heard from women with lived experience about the stigma surrounding periods, and how difficult it sometimes was to obtain support due to the apparent discomfort or embarrassment of homelessness practitioners. Through subsequent conversation with a range of practitioners, I realised we were also experiencing another poverty in the sector: a poverty of understanding, empathy, willingness and confidence to discuss, learn about, and support people with their periods. It struck me how there was absolutely nothing to support people in the sector to redress this.
Having a period whilst homeless or precariously housed creates a ‘double stigma’. It is our duty as practitioners and policy-makers to do as much as we can to alleviate this, and to ensure women are able to manage their periods and menstrual health with dignity, choice, and autonomy.
I always say, you may go your entire career without ever having to have a conversation with a service user about periods. Nonetheless, over 50% of the population bleed; many, many of your service users will be on their period whilst interacting with you. There is a duty and an obligation, there, to be prepared and willing to have those conversations, should they arise. I hope this Toolkit will enable organisations and practitioners to create environments that are conducive to destigmatisation and equality, and support them to be informed, prepared, and open.”
What the toolkit provides
This is a practical resource, designed for real use. It includes:
- Advice on how to become a “Period Positive” organisation
- Templates and checklists for embedding menstrual support in policies and frontline delivery
- Case studies and quotes from people with lived experience
- Recommendations for including period products in hygiene packs and accommodation settings
- Guidance on how to build comfort and confidence among staff
It also offers specific insights into how period poverty intersects with homelessness and housing insecurity—and how organisations can avoid compounding shame, exclusion, or discomfort.
||“We need to embed period dignity as part of inclusive service delivery,” the toolkit argues. “Not as an add-on, but as a core part of meeting people’s basic needs.”||
The toolkit also recognises that menstrual health doesn’t end with periods. It highlights the importance of including perimenopause and menopause in conversations and policies around menstrual dignity. Many people experiencing homelessness or hardship go through menopause unsupported, often facing symptoms like hot flushes, disrupted sleep, or mood changes without access to information or care.
The toolkit encourages organisations to acknowledge these experiences and consider practical ways to offer support, whether through staff training, better access to healthcare signposting, or simply making the topic less taboo in frontline services.
The toolkit also takes care to acknowledge that not everyone who menstruates identifies as a woman or female. It highlights the importance of using inclusive language and practices to ensure that trans and non-binary people feel seen, respected, and safe when accessing period support. This is particularly vital in homelessness services, where environments can already feel unsafe or exclusionary for those whose gender identity doesn’t match traditional expectations.
By recognising that menstruation is not limited to one gender, the toolkit encourages organisations to move away from assumptions and toward more trauma-informed, person-centred approaches. This might include reviewing the language used in signage or policies, offering products in gender-neutral spaces, and equipping staff to respond with sensitivity and understanding. It’s a step toward ensuring that menstrual dignity is extended to everyone who needs it.
Who it’s for
The toolkit is aimed at housing providers, homelessness services, outreach teams, local authorities, and any organisation working with women and people who menstruate.
Whether you run a drop-in, manage supported housing, or deliver food parcels, the toolkit helps ensure that period needs are not overlooked. Small actions such as offering products without people needing to ask, or placing items in accessible places can make a big difference.
While the toolkit has been launched in partnership with Birmingham based organisations, it is still very applicable for organisations in other regions of the West Midlands and across the country.
A step toward inclusion
While self care and hygiene is important, this toolkit is also addressing equality and inclusion. Menstruation should never be a barrier to accessing support, feeling safe, or moving forward in life. The toolkit offers a way to take that seriously, with practical steps that can be embedded quickly and affordably into existing services.
The toolkit is available now via Birmingham City Council’s website