This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Homelessness and temporary accommodation statistics
11/02/2003
Two Statistical Releases are published today by the Executive.
The first, Operation of the homeless persons legislation in Scotland: quarters ending 30 June 2002 and 30 September 2002, presents information about households that applied as homeless to local authorities under the homeless persons legislation during the period April to September 2002, and provides information about households and applications, and detailed information about the characteristics of households applying, local authority assessments made and actions taken.
The second release, Operation of the homeless persons legislation in Scotland: households in temporary accommodation: quarter ending 30 September 2002, presents information about households living in temporary accommodation on September 30, 2002 in each local authority area, having been placed there by the local authority under the homeless persons legislation, and gives information on the type of accommodation in which the households are living, and also provides this information separately for families with children.
This is the first set of figures on households in temporary accommodation since commencement of the new duty on local authorities to provide temporary accommodation to everyone assessed as homeless.
The main points are:
Homelessness applications
- The numbers of applications received during April to June 2002 and July to September 2002 were 12,226 and 12,439 respectively. These represent increases of 6% for the April to June quarter and 7% for the July to September quarter over the same quarters in the previous year.
- The number of separate households applying to local authorities as homeless during the the six month period April-Sept 2002 was 23,150.
- In terms of types of households applying, 63% of households applying over the nine-month period Jan-Sept 2002 were single person households and a further 24% were single parent households.
- Councils assessed some 21,479 households during the six months of April to September 2002. Some 80% of all households assessed in the quarter were assessed as homeless or potentially homeless; 57% were determined to have a priority need. Thirty percent of all households assessed were households with children.
- 18,918 households had their cases concluded during the six months to September 2002, of which 9,478 were households determined to be in priority need. Of these priority cases 48% were offered a permanent social rented tenancy and 21% were offered temporary accommodation.
Households in temporary accommodation
- At the end of September 2002, 4,704 households were reported in temporary accommodation, some 20% more compared to the end of September 2001.
- 53% (2,471) of these households were in local authority owned dwellings with a further 28% (1,324) in hostels and 15% (706) in B&B accommodation.
- The number of households in B&B had increased by 243 (52%) compared to the end of September 2001.
- Of the 4,704 total households in temporary accommodation at the end of September 2002, 1,490 were families with children, 9% more than the number of families in temporary accommodation at the end of September 2001.
NOTES ABOUT THE STATISTICS
Most of the figures in Operation of the homeless persons legislation in Scotland: quarters ending 30 June 2002 and 30 September 2002 are based on information obtained from the new electronic data capture system, which went live on December 10, 2001.
As this is only the second time that information from the new system has been published, the information should be treated with some caution. Local authorities' systems are still bedding in.
A new Homelessness Statistics Users Group (including representation from local authorities, Scottish Executive and academia, among others) will be considering the quality of the data which is being provided, particularly on repeat applications.
Since September 2002, local authorities have had an increased duty to provide 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.
In the past, quarterly information on homelessness was published as part of the Quarterly Trends Bulletins on housing. As much more information on homelessness is now available, due to introduction of the new electronic data capture system, homelessness statistics are now being published separately from other housing statistics.