WIREDGOV

Quarterly update: July - September 2013.

Scotland’s Chief Statistician today released statistics on the operation of the homeless persons legislation in Scotland.

The bulletin provides information on homelessness applications, assessments and outcomes in the period up to 30 September 2013. The release also includes information on households placed in temporary accommodation as a result of a homelessness application and notifications of households at risk of homelessness due to eviction.

Applications

• There were 9,114 applications for homelessness assistance. This was 13% lower than in the same period in 2012.
• The fall in applications is mainly due to the impact of housing options / homelessness prevention strategies adopted by most local authorities over the past few years rather than to changes in the underlying drivers of homelessness.
• In 59 cases (0.6% of all applications this quarter), the main applicant cited Welfare Reform as an underlying factor in applying to their local authority for homeless assistance. This includes 22 applications citing removal of the spare room subsidy, 19 citing the Benefit Cap and 18 citing another aspect of Welfare Reform. Out of these 59 cases, 47 were assessed as being either homeless or potentially homeless.

Assessments 59

• There were 7,311 homeless or threatened with homelessness assessments and this was 12% lower than in July – September 2012 when there were 8,275 such assessments (comprising 7,743 priority homeless and 532 non-priority homeless).

Outcomes

• Of the 5,476 unintentionally homeless households, 4,210 (77%) secured a local authority, housing association or private let as an outcome. This refers to those households with whom contact had been maintained and whose case was closed between July and September 2013. This proportion has remained stable for the past six years.

Households in temporary accommodation

At 30 September 2013:-

• There were 10,283 households in temporary accommodation - a decrease of 263 households (-2%) compared to one year earlier.
• There were 2,661 households with children in temporary accommodation – a decrease of 628 households (-19%) compared with one year earlier. These households contained a total of 4,419 children, a decrease of 974 children (-18%) compared to one year ago.
• There were 10 households with children in bed and breakfast accommodation, a reduction of 19 households on end September 2012.
• One breach of the Unsuitable Temporary Accommodation Order was reported for 30 September 2013. This was in Fife.

Notes to editors

1. The full statistical publication can be accessed on the Homelessness Statistics section of the Scottish Government website at: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/homelessstats

2. Further information on Housing and Regeneration statistics within Scotland can be accessed at: ttp://www.scotland.gov.uk/topics/statistics/browse/Housing-Regeneration

3. National statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff – more information on the standards of National statistics in Scotland can be accessed at: ttp://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Statistics/About