Homelessness in Scotland: 2023-24

How long does it take to complete the homelessness application process?

Key points in 2023-24

• It took 19 days on average for a homelessness case to be assessed; 2 days less than last year
• It took 278 days on average from assessment to case closure for homeless households; an increase compared to 267 last year

How long does it take for an application to be processed?

In 2023-24, it took 19 days on average for a case to be assessed following an application; two days shorter than 2022-23. The longest average time in 2023-24 was 51 days in East Renfrewshire – an increase from 22 the previous year. Inverclyde had the shortest average time of 9 days, compared to 13 the previous year.

Chart 14: Continued increase in average time to close homelessness cases

Average time (in days) to close a homelessness case: 2002-03 to 2023-24

Edinburgh had the highest average of 728 days from assessment to case closure; an increase from 651 in 2022-23. West Lothian was the next highest at 479 days, a slight decrease from 481 the previous year. Aberdeenshire had the lowest average at 69 days; a decrease from 81 days the previous year.

There were notable decreases for average time in Midlothian (548 to 428), Stirling (517 to 451), Highland (from 295 to 228) and East Lothian (430 to 372), which local authorities have attributed to temporary tenancies being converted to permanent ones and increased priority on provision of permanent outcomes.

For households not assessed as homeless, where the local authority does not have a duty to provide temporary accommodation or permanent settled accommodation, the average time to close a case was 37 days. This is a decrease compared to 2022-23 (44 days), although an increase over time (from 7 days in 2002-03). West Lothian was the highest (88 days compared to 60 the previous year).