Homelessness in Scotland: 2017 to 2018

Outcomes

(Tables 31 to 34)

Households assessed as unintentionally homeless have a right to settled accommodation - this is usually a tenancy with a local authority landlord or Housing Association, or a tenancy in the private rented sector. In 2017/18, just over two-thirds of unintentionally homeless households secured settled accommodation (18,457 or 69% of unintentionally homeless households which had an outcome in 2017/18). This proportion has gradually increased each year since 2013/14 (when 66% secured settled accommodation) (Table 31).

For those households assessed as unintentionally homeless, Orkney had the highest proportion of outcomes securing settled accommodation during 2017/18 (89% of outcomes). While Midlothian and Glasgow City had the lowest (48% and 54% of outcomes respectively) (Table 32).

Contact Lost / Unknown Outcomes

In 2017/18, local authorities closed 28,102 cases (Table 34). Of these, following an assessment of homeless or threatened with homelessness, contact was maintained until case closure for 23,890 applications (85% of cases). An outcome of lost contact or unknown outcome was reported for 15% of cases. The overall proportion of lost contacts has remained roughly the same for the past 8 years (varying between 17% and 20%) but reduced by two percentage points when comparing 2017/18 with 2016/17.