This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Latest homelessness statistics
13/03/2007
The latest information on applications to local authorities under Scotland's Homeless Persons legislation is published today, providing a routine update of homelessness statistics as well as further analyses of available data.
The format of the information has been changed to include two articles in relation to households where a member reported sleeping rough and households assessed as threatened with homelessness.
The main points are:
Applications
During the period April-September 2006, there were 29,973 applications to local authorities under the Homeless Persons legislation. This represents a decrease of 2 per cent compared to previous applications during April-September 2005. The most recent data support previous indications that the increase in applications may be levelling out since 2003-04.
Households in temporary accommodation
- The latest snapshot figure for households placed in temporary accommodation by local authorities under the Homeless Persons legislation was 8,626 as at December 31, 2006. This represents an increase of 12percent compared to the situation as at December 31, 2005.
- The most recent figure for households with children or pregnant women in temporary accommodation as at December 31, 2006 was 2,954, an increase of 9 per cent over the previous year.
Implementation of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order
The snapshot figures for June 30, September 30 and December 31, 2006 show:
- The most recent figure for reported breaches was 49 cases as at 31 December 2006. This represents 2percent of households with children or pregnant women in temporary accommodation at that point, and less than 1percent of all households in temporary accommodation.
- On the whole, the number of breaches has increased between 2005 and 2006: for the quarters ending September 30 and December 31, breaches increased from 58 to 63 and 32 to 49 respectively.
- However, the number of local authorities with breaches at any time point throughout the year has decreased between 2005 and 2006 (from 15 to 12). The pattern of breaches has therefore become more clustered with fewer authorities showing an increased number of breaches.
Rough sleeping
- In 2005-06, 7 per cent of applicants to local authorities under the Homeless Persons legislation reported sleeping rough the night before applying for assistance. This proportion has been dropping consistently over the past four years (from 10 per cent in 2002-03).
- The average number of applicants who reported sleeping rough the night before applying to the local authority has fallen by 26percent over the past four years, from about 440 per month in 2002-03 to about 330 per month in 2005-06.
- Rough sleepers are predominantly single men aged 25-54.
- Outcomes of applications do not vary greatly between those who slept rough the night before applying and those who did not.
Households threatened with homelessness
- In 2005-06, 10percent of assessments of homelessness applicants involved households who were threatened with homelessness within two months of applying for assistance, or potentially homeless.
- The number of potentially homeless households has remained relatively stable, at around 5,000 households per year since the mid 1980s against a background of significant increase in homelessness overall.
- Single parents, couples and families with children are more likely to be assessed as potentially homeless (rather than homeless), compared to single person households.
- Reasons for homelessness among potentially homeless households are more likely to be because of changes in household circumstances which can be anticipated, such as possible loss of the matrimonial home or loss of a private tenancy.
- Potentially homeless households assessed as non priority are markedly more likely to return to their previous accommodation than those assessed as in priority need.
- Nearly two thirds of applicant households assessed as potentially homeless do not go on to become homeless.
Since September 2002, local authorities have had an increased statutory duty to provide a minimum of temporary accommodation, advice and assistance to everyone assessed as homeless. Prior to that date there was only a duty to provide accommodation to those assessed as in priority need.
The Homelessness Etc (Scotland) Act passed in 2003 introduces a phasing out of the distinction between priority and non-priority applications, and enables the suspension of the test of local connection.
The ultimate aim of the Act is to ensure that everyone assessed as being unintentionally homeless is entitled to permanent accommodation by 2012.
The Homeless Persons (Unsuitable Accommodation) (Scotland) Order came into force in December 2004. This Order requires councils to ensure that households with children or pregnant women are not placed in unsuitable temporary accommodation, unless exceptional circumstances apply.
Figures on applications are based on information obtained from an electronic data capture system, which is updated on a continuous basis. Due to the live nature of the system, it is likely that the information presented in future publications may differ from the current published figures.