This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Homelessness statistics published
20/01/2004
The Statistics Release Operation of the Homeless Persons legislation in Scotland: quarters ending 30 June and 30 September 2003 published today presents information on applications made to local authorities under the Homeless Persons legislation during the period April to September 2003.
It includes information on the characteristics of applicant households, as well as information about local authority assessments and the action taken in respect of cases that were concluded.
Snapshot data on households in temporary accommodation as at 30 June and 30 September 2003 are also presented in this release. In 2001, the Scottish Parliament passed legislation which placed additional duties on councils to provide a minimum of temporary accommodation, advice and assistance to all applicants assessed as homeless.
In particular, from September 2002, councils have been required to provide temporary accommodation, advice and assistance to non-priority applicants who in the past would have received advice and assistance only.
The main points are:
Applications and applicant households
* During the period April-September 2003, there were 26,802 applications to local authorities under the Homeless Persons legislation. This represents an increase of 6 per cent compared to applications during April-September 2002. Previous increases have been higher (11 per cent between 2001-02 and 2002-03), and it may be that the rise in numbers of applications is beginning to ease off.
* Seven per cent of applications during the six-month period April-September 2003 were recorded as repeat applications. This represents a decrease compared to April-September 2002, where 11 per cent of applications were recorded as repeat applications.
* The majority of households applying were single-person households (64 per cent), mainly men. Single parents, predominantly women, accounted for the next largest group (23 per cent).
Local authority assessment
* Of the 24,721 applications assessed during April-September 2003, 78 per cent were assessed as homeless, and 56 per cent as homeless and in priority need.
Action taken by local authorities
* There were 22,370 applications actioned by local authorities during April-September 2003: out of the 11,933 assessed as in priority need, 48 per cent were offered permanent accommodation and 20 per cent were offered temporary accommodation.
Households in temporary accommodation
* The snapshot figures for households placed in temporary accommodation by local authorities under the Homeless Persons legislation as at 30 June and 30 September 2003 were 5,646 and 6,141 respectively. This represents an increase of 31 per cent over figures as at 30 September 2002. The most recent figures also show an increase between 30 September 2002 and 30 September 2003 of 29 per cent (from 1,490 to 1,924) in the numbers of households with children in temporary accommodation.
* As at 30 September 2003, 55 per cent of households in temporary accommodation were in local authority accommodation, with a further 26 per cent in hostels and 18 per cent in bed and breakfast accommodation.
* Households with children tended on the whole to be provided with local authority accommodation (86 per cent), with a minority (8 per cent) being placed in bed and breakfast accommodation. As at 30 September 2003, there were 148 households with children in bed and breakfast accommodation. This varied by local authority, with 17 local authorities having none or only one household with children in bed and breakfast, and seven local authorities having more than ten.
Most of the figures in the release Operation of the Homeless Persons legislation in Scotland: quarters ending 30 June and 30 September 2003 are based on information obtained from an electronic data capture system, which went live on 10 December 2001. A 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. It is very likely that the information presented in this release will differ from those previously published due to the data being continuously updated.
Since September 2002, local authorities have had an increased 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.