High Level Summary of Statistics Trend
Applications, assessments and households in temporary accommodation
Last update: November 2012
The number of applications in 2011-12 was 25% lower than the peak value seen in 2005-6, when around 61,000 homelessness applications were made. The marked reduction in homelessness applications seen in 2011-12 is likely to be the result of housing options work being undertaken by local authorities in Scotland. Over the past few years councils have been developing services in which staff assist households to consider the range of options available to address their housing needs. As a consequence some of the households who might previously have made a homelessness application may now have their housing needs met without first becoming homeless or being threatened with homelessness. Further information on the development of housing options services in Scottish local authorities is available at Homelessness Prevention.
The Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 set the objective that by 31 December 2012 all homeless applicants would be entitled to settled accommodation. This objective is generally referred to as the 2012 homelessness commitment. At present, those with a priority assessment and who are unintentionally homeless are entitled to settled accommodation, while those assessed as non-priority are entitled to temporary accommodation, advice and assistance only. Progress towards the commitment can be tracked by the number and proportion of homeless applicants assessed as priority; with the aim that 100% of homeless will be assessed as priority by 31 December 2012.
Of the 45,322 applications in 2011-12 for which assessment details have been received, 34,302 were assessed as homeless or potentially homeless and 31,183 were assessed as priority need. Those with a priority assessment represent 91% of those assessed as homeless, an increase of three percentage points over 2010-11. The percentage of homeless assessed as priority has increased by 18 percentage points since 2003-04 and by 14 percentage points since 2006-07.
For the quarter ending 30 June 2012, in eighteen out of thirty two local authorities 100% of homeless assessments were assessed as having a priority need.
Source: Scottish Government Communities Analytical Services (Housing Access and Support Statistics)
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The number of households in temporary accommodation depends on a number of factors including:
- The availability of settled accommodation in a local authority area.
- The number of households assessed as homeless priority need.
- The propensity of households to require local authority temporary accommodation. Some homeless households may make their own arrangements and stay with family or friends.
After a marked and consistent increase in the number of households in temporary accommodation - from around 4,000 at 31 March 2002 to 11,254 at 31 March 20129 - the number of households in temporary accommodation has reduced to 10,743 at 31 March 2012. This is a reduction of 511 households (-5%) compared with March 2011.
Beneath this national reduction a different picture emerges. Thirteen local authorities experienced a reduction in the number of households in temporary accommodation and nineteen experienced an increase. The largest reductions were seen in Glasgow (-302 households), Highland (-224), Stirling (-89), Midlothian (-65) and South Lanarkshire (-38).
Of the 19 local authorities which have seen an increase in the number of households in temporary accommodation, twelve local authorities saw an increase of ten households or less. A further four saw increase of between 11 and 16 households. The number of households in temporary accommodation increased the most in Shetland (+20 households), Dumfries and Galloway (+29 households) and Fife (+104 households).
Source: Scottish Government Communities Analytical Services (Housing Access and Support Statistics)
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Further Information
More information can be obtained from the Homelessness Statistics webpage.