It could happen to anyone regardless of education, social, or economic status.
	-- A Woman at On The Rise

On The Rise serves women who:

• Are homeless by a broad definition of lacking a permanent, safe, secure place to live
• Are in crisis
• Have experienced traumatic physical and/or emotional abuse by people and/or systems
• Are falling through the cracks of our human service system because of the multiple and complex issues they face, and
• Are poor

These women may be straight, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. They struggle with complicated internal and external challenges that might include:

• physical medical problems
• chronic diseases
• mental health conditions
• substance use or abuse
• beginning recovery/maintaining sobriety
• legal issues (civil and/or criminal as plaintiffs or defendants)
• immigration
• few, if any, familial supports
• fear of systems
• guarded behavior
• violent behavior
• contradictory verbal and non-verbal communication
• bad luck, and
• experiences of discrimination, racism, sexism

On an average day, women at On The Rise spent the previous night:

• 52% in shelters
• 22% outside
• 16% in a single room or apartment
• 6% with family or friends, and
• 4% in other places like the hospital or at work

In 2007, the age and ethnic background of new women using On The Rise was: