Three years ago, Ananya was living comfortably in her Bay Area environment. However, like many teens, she found herself yearning to better understand the world, how it worked, and why certain things were the way they were. 

In particular, she wondered why her life was so dramatically different from that of the people she’d often see. She saw as people sat on the streets asking passersby for money, food, and shelter.

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This quest drove her to the California Youth Crisis Line, where she met teens from a myriad of experiences. Some just like her, were battling the same teenage challenges she was, and some who were grappling with issues beyond what she could comprehend. 

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She recalls a specific call with a runaway teen. “I sleep on the streets – it's safer this way,” the caller had told her. It didn’t make sense to Ananya. Shelters were supposed to be safe places for the homeless. A place where they could be connected to resources and seek a way of this cycle. After a bit of research, she’d find out that that wasn’t the case.

 

In fact, today more than 85% of the shelters available are mixed-gender. While these are designed to be safe havens for women, women experience violence at startling levels within them. They are vulnerable and marginalized, and do not have access to the resources they need, forcing the vast majority to 'rough sleep' on the streets. Thus, more than 93% of women on the streets have experienced some form of violence. They also have shorter life spans, and a majority of women on the streets are known to be battling mental illness. Heavy gender based discrimintion makes it hard for them to break this cycle.

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And so, in late 2019, she set out to better understand the circumstances and ask difficult questions about privilege, access, and inequality in society.

 

She started Project Her Home with the help of Radhika Shandilya, a transitional housing worker. Her motive was to help women combat homelessness and cycles of abuse.  She later went on to partner with Dr. Ruschelle Leone, a professor of psychology and gender studies, to develop the PHH App and connect women to safe women-only shelters, violence prevention resources, health care services and much more. It also helps them take care of their mental health while on the streets and seek options out of homelessness. 

 

To further her initiative, she also recently started the care-kit program with volunteers. She aims to donate care kits with menstruation and child care supplies to these women. In addition, she is also hosting the Policy and Advocacy Conference this summer. 

 

Ananya hopes her initiative can raise awareness for the unique struggles of women on the streets and bring about equity and justice.