Homelessness in Scotland: 2021/22

Main points for 2021/22

• Homelessness applications and number of households assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness (intentional or unintentional) increased but are still lower than pre-pandemic
  • There were 35,230 homelessness applications recorded in 2021/22. This is an increase of 3% compared to 2020/21 (34,286), but is still below 2019/20 (37,060)
  • There were 28,882 households assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness. This is 3% more than in 2020/21 (28,042), but is still below 2019/20 (31,612)
  • The 28,882 homeless households comprised 32,592 adults and 14,372 children
• Open applications and households in temporary accommodation continued to increase
  • There was a total of 26,166 open homelessness cases at 31 March 2022; an increase of 5% compared to 2021 (24,834), higher than 2020 (22,906)
  • There were 13,945 households in temporary accommodation at 31 March 2022; an increase of 4% compared to 2021 (13,359), higher than 2020 (11,665)
  • There were 8,635 children in temporary accommodation at 31 March 2022; an increase of 17% compared to 2021
• Most common reasons for homelessness
  • Household disputes (35%) and being asked to leave (26%) remain most common reasons for homelessness. Although lower in proportion than last year (36% and 27% respectively in 2020/21), they are still higher than pre-pandemic (32% and 24% respectively in 2019/20).
• Property type from which households became homeless
  • The proportions of applicants that became homeless from a family home (28%) or friends/partners (20%) were also lower than last year (30% and 22% respectively in 2020/21), but are still higher than pre-pandemic (24% and 18% respectively in 2019/20).
  • There was an increase in homelessness from private rented tenancies (from 11% in 2020/21 to 15% in 2021/22), which is now close to pre-pandemic (16% in 2019/20).
• Rough sleeping prior to making a homelessness application continues to decrease
  • 2,129 applicants (6%) reported rough sleeping during the previous three months; down from 7% of applicants in 2020/21
  • 1,304 (4%) reported rough sleeping the night before; the same proportion of applicants as in 2020/21
• 82% of unintentionally homeless households secured settled accommodation in 2021/22, increasing from 80% in 2020/21
• Temporary accommodation
  • All households spent on average 207 days in temporary accommodation
  • Households with children spent, on average, the longest in temporary accommodation;
  • Couples with children spent 343 days on average in temporary accommodation, other household with children 291 days, single parent 234 days, other 212 days, couple 204 days and single person 193 days
• 28,043 homelessness cases closed in 2021/22, an increase of 5% compared to 2020/21
• Characteristics of households assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness (intentional or unintentional);
  • 63% aged 25 to 49
  • 67% of households are single person, 28% contain children
  • 85% white ethnicity
  • 52% have at least one support need