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CHAPTER TWO: CONTACT AND PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF HOMELESSNESS

2.1 Although the focus of the 2006 Scottish Social Attitudes survey module on homelessness was on public attitudes towards this issue, we also included two questions on people's awareness and experience of homelessness. The first of these questions was designed to measure personal experience of homelessness. The second was designed to tap exposure to 'visible homelessness' ( e.g. Big Issue sellers, people begging on the street etc). We asked:

• Have you or anyone you know ever been homeless? By homeless, I mean not had somewhere suitable to live. ⁶
• Generally speaking, how often do you come across someone you think is homeless?

2.2 One reason for asking how often people come across people they believe to be homeless is that people who have not had any personal experience of homelessness may form opinions of homeless people based on this kind of 'low-level contact'. Of course, the question does not take account of the fact that many people may have come across homeless people without realising they have done so, or the possibility that some people whom respondents believe to be homeless may not actually be. However, as our primary interest is in perceptions, however accurate or inaccurate, it was more important to measure respondents' 'perceived' rather than 'actual' exposure to people experiencing homelessness.

2.3 In addition to being interesting findings in themselves, we hoped to use data from these questions to help explain public attitudes - for example, do attitudes to people experiencing homelessness vary, either by 'low-level contact' with, or personal experience of homelessness, or both? However, the aim of this chapter is to provide a brief summary of respondents' personal experience of homelessness and their 'low-level contact' with 'homeless people'.

Personal experience of homelessness

2.4 Figure 2.1 highlights that most people (67%) have not had either any personal experience of homelessness, or known anyone else who has been homeless. Around 3 in 10 do have experience of homelessness - 7% have experienced it themselves, 9% have family members who have been homeless and 10% have friends who have been homeless.

Figure 2.1 Personal experience of homelessness⁷

Base: all respondents (1,594)

2.5 In this survey we found that 7% of people had experienced homelessness themselves. This is just slightly higher than the 4% who said they had ever been homeless in the 2005 Scottish Household Survey.

2.5 While sex is not significantly associated with experience of homelessness, age is (Figure 2.2). Older people are least likely to have been homeless or know someone who has (20% of those aged 65+), while the middle-aged (35-54 year-olds) have most experience (just under four in ten of this group have either experienced homelessness themselves, or know someone who has).

Figure 2.2 Personal experience of homelessness BY age⁸

Base: all respondents (1,594)

2.6 Personal experience of homelessness also varies by both the level of deprivation ⁹ in the area respondents live in, income level and by urbanity, as measured by the Scottish Government six-fold urban/rural classification (Table 2.1). As level of deprivation increases, so too does personal experience of homelessness - meaning that those living in the least deprived areas have less personal experience (24%) than those in the most deprived areas (37%). In line with this, and as might be expected, those with the lowest incomes (£11,999 and below) are most likely to have experienced homelessness themselves or to know someone who has (43% have), and those with the highest incomes (£44,000 and above) are least likely to have such personal experience (22% have). The relationship with urbanity is not so clear (Table 2.1 again). People in remote rural areas (74%) are more likely than those in large urban areas (69%) to have no personal experience of homelessness. However, it is people living in 'other urban areas' (36%) and 'remote small towns' (37%) that have most personal experience. It is not obvious why this is the case.

2.7 Given that social renters tend to be in lower socio-economic groups and that private renters may be in more insecure housing we might expect to find that it is these groups who are most likely to have either experienced homelessness themselves, or to know someone who has. Table 2.1 demonstrates that this is indeed the case. Personal experience of homelessness is significantly greater among social renters and private renters than among owner occupiers (40% for both, compared with 27% of owner occupiers).

Table 2.1 Personal experience of homelessness BY deprivation, income, urban/rural and housing tenure

How often do people come across 'homeless people'?

2.8 A significant proportion of people come across someone they think is homeless on a regular basis (Figure 2.3). Sixteen per cent come across someone 'most days', 19% 'at least once a week' and 14% 'at least once a month'. There is, however, a sizeable minority of people who say they 'never' come across someone they believe to be homeless (18%). Although we might expect that this proportion would have been smaller if the question had specified the much broader legal definition of 'homelessness' ¹⁰, the finding is still striking.

Figure 2.3 How often do you come across someone you think is homeless?

Base: all respondents (1,594)

2.9 There is no significant relationship between this kind of 'low-level contact' with 'homeless people' and the sex of the respondent. However, there is noticeable variation by age (Table 2.4), with frequency of exposure to 'visible homelessness' apparently declining as people get older. For example, a third of 18-24 year-olds come across someone they consider to be homeless 'most days', compared with only 6% of people aged 65 or over. Further, almost half (46%) of people aged 65 or over say they 'never' come across someone they think is homeless, significantly higher than for any other age group (for example, only 8% of 18-24 year-olds and 7% of 35-44 year olds say the same).

Figure 2.4 How often come across 'homeless people' BY age

Base: all respondents (1,594)

2.10 Given that the 'visibly homeless' (for example, Big Issue sellers and people begging on the streets) are more commonly found in large cities and towns we might expect that people in more urban areas will come across people they think are homeless more often than those living in remote areas. Further, given the association between deprivation and housing need, of which homelessness is one (severe) type, we might also expect that people in more deprived areas will have greater 'low-level contact' with 'homeless people' than people living in less deprived areas.

2.11 In line with these expectations, over a quarter (27%) of those in large urban areas say they come across someone 'most days' compared with only 11% of those living in accessible rural areas and 4% from remote rural areas (Table 2.2). 'Low-level contact' also varies by deprivation, from 26% of those living in the most deprived areas who say they come across someone they believe to be homeless 'most days', to 17% of those in the least deprived areas.

2.12 In terms of tenure, it is private renters who come across people they think are homeless most often. Nearly three in ten private renters (29%) come across someone they think is homeless 'most days', compared with 17% of social renters and 15% of owner occupiers. This is perhaps not surprising given that a large proportion of private renters live in urban areas (where there are more 'visibly homeless' people) and because they are more likely to be young people (who, as we have seen earlier, say they come across 'homeless people' most often).

Table 2.2 How often come across 'homeless people' BY deprivation, urban/rural and housing tenure

Key points

• Most people have not had any experience of homelessness, nor do they know anyone else who has (67%). Seven per cent have experienced homelessness themselves.
• People in the 'middle-aged' groups are most likely to have experienced homelessness themselves or know someone who has (37% of 35-44 year-olds and 38% of 45-54 year-olds compared with 20% of those aged 65 and over).
• People with low household incomes (£11,999 and less) are more likely than those on high incomes (£44,000 and over) to have experienced homelessness themselves or to know someone who has (43% compared with 22%).

• People living in socially rented and private rented accommodation are more likely than owner occupiers to have experienced homelessness or know someone who has (40% for both, compared with 27% of owner occupiers).

• People living in the least deprived areas have less personal experience of homelessness - three quarters of this group do not know anyone who has been homeless, compared with just 6 in 10 people in the most deprived areas.
• While 16% say they come across someone they think is homeless 'most days', a similar proportion (18%) say they 'never' come across they consider to be homeless.
• Younger people have the greatest frequency of 'low-level contact' with people they think are homeless. For example, 33% of 18-34 year-olds say they come across someone they think is homeless 'most days' while only 6% of those aged 65 and over say the same.
• Those living in large urban areas and those in the most deprived areas are most likely to come across someone they think is homeless most days (27% and 26% respectively), compared with 4% in remote rural areas and 17% in the least deprived areas).

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