Homelessness in Scotland: 2023-24

The extent of homelessness in Scotland

Key points in 2023-24

• Increases in all of homelessness applications, households assessed as homeless, households and children in temporary accommodation, and open applications.

Applications, assessments, and households in temporary accommodation

Table 1: Continued increases for homeless applications (new and open), households assessed as homeless and households in temporary accommodation

Homelessness applications, assessments and temporary accommodation 2022-23 and 2023-24

The number of applications and households assessed as homeless are the highest since 2011-12, with the number of open homelessness applications and households in temporary accommodation reaching the highest in the time series (back to 2003 and 2002 respectively).

The increases are largely due to Glasgow, with the highest numerical increases across all measures. Glasgow have attributed these to an increase in applications from asylum seekers and refugees. Indeed, homelessness applications in Glasgow from those present in the UK e.g. because they have been granted refugee status or leave to remain, have nearly doubled in the last year (from 1,384 to 2,709).

The cost of living crisis and and pressures in the current housing system, related to backlogs and lack of availability of suitable properties were also noted by a number of local authorities as reasons for the increases.

Number of households vs number of people

The 33,619 homeless households in 2023-24 contained a total of 53,549 people, comprising 38,075 adults and 15,474 children. The number of adults increased by 2% compared to the previous year, while the number of children decreased by 7%.

There were 10,110 children in temporary accommodation as at 31 March. This is the highest in the time series. There was an increase of 5% children in temporary accommodation compared to 4% in the number of households with children or pregnant women and 9% in the number of households overall. [To note, data is not collected on the number of adults in temporary accommodation placements.]

Intentionality

In 2023-24, 32,907 (98% of all homeless households) were assessed as unintentionally homeless, with the remaining 712 assessed as intentionally homeless.

This is the highest number (and proportion) of households assessed as intentionally homeless since legislation changed in November 2019, giving local authorities the power to assess for intentionality, rather that it being a legal duty to do so.

Longer term trends

Chart 1: Longer term trends in homelessness in Scotland are impacted by previous legislation, policy, and practice, with a shorter-term impact due to COVID-19

Homelessness applications, assessments, open applications, and households in temporary accommodation: 2002-03 to 2023-24

In 2001, Scottish homelessness legislation extended councils’ duties to non-priority need homeless households. Before 2002, the majority of homeless households in priority need were households with children. Following the 2001 extension duty there was a notable increase in the number of single people applying for homelessness assistance.

These single people were also eligible for temporary accommodation. This can, at least in part, explain the increase from 2002-03. The priority need test was abolished on 31 December 2012.

The sharper decrease shown from 2009-10 is likely due to the impact of the introduction of Housing Options services in Scottish local authorities, with a focus on prevention.

From 2016-17, applications and assessments were increasing year on year until 2020-21, when the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in decreases due to stay at home guidance and emergency legislation to protect renters. The lifting of these resulted in a return to increasing trends. The number of open applications and households in temporary accommodaiton continued to rise throughout the pandemic and are now at an all time high.

How does homelessness vary across Scotland?

Applications

Seventeen local authorities experienced an increase in applications, with 15 experiencing a decrease.

The largest numerical increases were in Glasgow (983, 15%), North Lanarkshire (309, 16%), Edinburgh (197, 5%) and South Lanarkshire (192, 8%). Inverclyde and Midlothian experienced the largest proportionate increases at 29% (84) and 28% (161), respectively.

The largest numerical decreases were in East Ayrshire (213, 19%) and Aberdeenshire (161, 16%). East Dunbartonshire had the greatest proportionate decrease (93, 22%).

Comparing homelessness figures with the total number of households for each local authority (i.e. rates) provides a useful insight as to how homelessness varies across Scotland.

Chart 2: 133 households per 10,000 in Scotland assessed as homeless

Households assessed as homeless compared to all households, by local authority: 2023- 24

Open homelessness applications

It is not always the case that the same patterns are observed across all local authorities for new and open applications. There have been a number of instances where there has been an increase in open applications, despite a decrease in the number of new applications. For example, East Dunbartonshire experienced a 22% decrease in applications, but a 26% increase in open applications. This can be explained by the fact that the number of new cases is greater than the number of closed cases, and hence leads to an overall increase in open cases.

Edinburgh has the highest number of open cases at 7,067, accounting for 22% of all open cases compared to 9% of all new applications.

Temporary accommodation

Similarly, it is not necessarly the case that the local authorities with the highest rates of homeless households have the highest rates for use of temporary accommodation, and vice versa. This implies some local authorities have a disproportionately high use of temporary accommodation, while others have a disproportionately low use.

Chart 3: 64 households per 10,000 in Scotland in temporary accommodation

Households in temporary accommodation compared to all households, by local authority: as at 31 March 2024