Housing First monitoring report: year 3 – October 2023 to March 2024
Housing First quarterly monitoring from 1 October 2023 to 31 March 2024.
The data collected by the Scottish Government captures Housing First tenancies which started between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2024. Prior to this date, data on Housing First tenancies in the pathfinder areas was independently assessed and published.
Key points
Tenancies in Scotland
It is estimated that a total of 1,820[1] Housing First tenancies have started across Scotland at 31 March 2024.
New tenancies
Between 1 October 2023 and 31 March 2024, 149 new Housing First tenancies were started, with an additional 26 reported that commenced before 1 October 2023, totalling 175 new tenancies. This brings the total number of tenancies started since 1 April 2021 to 986[2].
Active tenancies
Of tenancies started since 1 April 2021, 854 tenancies remain active. A total of 132 tenancies have ended, none due to eviction.
Transition phases
Currently, 119 tenancies are in the 'step down'[3] phase, and 49 are in the 'stand down' phase.
Household composition
Within active tenancies there are 867 adults and 144 children, with an additional 106 households having access to 167 children but without full-time custody.
Average waiting time
The average time from referral to permanent tenancy is 311 days, with only 18% moving into their tenancy within 50 days.
Demographics
93% of Housing First households are single people. The majority of participants (39%) are aged 35-49.
Sustainment rate
Tenancy sustainment[4] rates are at 89% over 12 months after entry.
Housing First across Scotland
As of 31 March 2024, 26 local authorities are operating a Housing First programme, with one additional authority implementing a similar programme. Five authorities are not planning on delivering a Housing First programme or have an alternative support programme in place.
This monitoring report captures Housing First tenancies which have begun across all 26 local authorities who are currently delivering Housing First. The latest data shows varying levels of tenancy delivery across different regions, with Glasgow City, Renfrewshire, and Aberdeenshire starting the highest number of tenancies in this reporting period.
Tenancies
149 new Housing First tenancies started across 21 local authorities between 1 October and 31 March 2024. Five local authorities reported zero new tenancies started during this period. This brings the total number of Housing First tenancies started to 986 between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2024. All tenants are in a permanent tenancy and are not in temporary accommodation.
132 tenancies have now ended; 119 people have now moved into the ‘step down’ phase; and a further 49 are in the ‘stand down’ phase of Housing First.
Table A: Total number of tenancies started in each local authority between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2024 and latest 6-month return.
1 April 2021 – 31 March 2024
Local Authority Tenancies
Scotland 986[5]
Glasgow City 103
Renfrewshire 95
Aberdeenshire 92
Fife 75
City of Edinburgh 61
Midlothian 60
North Ayrshire 59
North Lanarkshire 54
Dundee City 53
Inverclyde 46
West Dunbartonshire 46
Stirling 35
Aberdeen City 34
Falkirk 22
South Lanarkshire 21
Scottish Borders 19
Dumfries & Galloway 17
Moray 16
Angus 14
South Ayrshire 14
Argyll & Bute 11
East Ayrshire 10
West Lothian 10
Western Isles 8
East Lothian 7
Highland <5
1 October 2023 – 31 March 2024
Local Authority Tenancies
Scotland 149
Fife 23
Glasgow City 19
Aberdeenshire 17
City of Edinburgh 14
Dundee City 13
Midlothian 10
Renfrewshire 8
North Ayrshire 6
Scottish Borders 6
Stirling 6
Aberdeen City 5
North Lanarkshire 5
Inverclyde <5
Moray <5
Argyll & Bute <5
South Lanarkshire <5
Dumfries & Galloway <5
Angus <5
East Ayrshire <5
Falkirk <5
Highland <5
West Lothian 0
Western Isles 0
South Ayrshire 0
West Dunbartonshire 0
East Lothian 0
Information was gathered on whether or not households had a homelessness application (HL1) and/or Housing Options (PREVENT1) approach recorded. Data shows that 91% of Housing First participants had a homelessness application, and 70% had a Housing Options[6] approach recorded.
Household characteristics
The data for this section is based on the main Housing First participant in ‘live’, ‘step down’ or ‘stand down’ tenancies which began between 1 April 2021 and 31 March 2024.
Gender
Across the 854 ‘live’, ‘step down’ or ‘stand down’ tenancies, 66% of the main Housing First tenants are male and 34% are female.
Chart 1: The household composition of Housing First tenancies.
Single Male 64%
Single Female 29%
Single Parent 5%
Couple/Other 1%
Chart 1 note: 93% of Housing First households are single people. ‘Single Parent’ includes both Male and Female data.
Chart 2: Housing First tenancies with children.
Housing First Tenancies with Children
End of Year 1 9
End of Year 2 37
End of Year 3 79
Number of Children residing
End of Year 1 18
End of Year 2 64
End of Year 3 144
Out of the 854 active Housing First tenancies, 79 include 144 children. The number of children residing in Housing First tenancies has significantly increased from 18 on 31 March 2022 to 144 by 31 March 2024, representing a rise of 126 children in 24 months.
Chart 3: Housing First tenancies with access to children.
Housing First Tenancies with access to Children
End of Year 1 36
End of Year 2 76
End of Year 3 106
Number of Children
End of Year 1 59
End of Year 2 115
End of Year 3 167
106 households have access to 167 children but do not have full-time custody.
Age
Chart 4: Age of main Housing First participant at tenancy start date.
16-17 2.1%
18-24 18.1%
25-34 27.6%
35-49 38.4%
50-70 13.5%
Ethnicity
Chart 5: Ethnicity of the main Housing First tenant.
White Scottish 93.6%
Other British 3.8%
Other ethnic group 2.6%
Sexual Orientation
Chart 6: Sexual orientation of the main Housing First tenant.
Heterosexual/ Straight 61%
Don’t know 29%
Prefer not to say 5%
Gay/Lesbian 2%
Bi-Sexual 1%
Chart 6 note: Chart percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Local authorities have been asked to collect information on the sexual orientation of the main Housing First participant. Due to this data not being collected in some local authorities and the potentially sensitive nature of this question, many responses were initially recorded as unknown.
Disability
Chart 7: Proportion of Housing First participants with a disability.
No 62%
Yes 29%
Don’t know 7%
Prefer not to say 1%
Chart 7 note: Chart percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Housing first tenancies
For the ‘live’, ‘step down’ or ‘stand down’ tenancies which have begun since 1 April 2021, the average length of time between participants being referred for Housing First support and being offered a permanent tenancy is 284 days across the 26 local authorities. This has increased from 231 days in the previous biannual report. The average time from referral to permanent tenancy has increased to 311 days from 257 days.
Chart 8: Tenancy type of ‘live’, ‘step down’ or ‘stand down’ tenancies.
LA Tenancy 66%
RSL 30%
PRS 4%
Of the 854 ‘live’, ‘step down’ or ‘stand down’ tenancies, the proportion of local authority tenancies has decreased by 2% to 66%. Registered social landlords (RSLs) have provided a steady proportion of Housing First tenancies over the last three reporting periods. 29 tenancies are either the private rented sector (PRS) or ‘Other’.
Chart 9: Banded national average in days to access a permanent tenancy from referral date.
0-50 18.3%
51-100 18.2%
101-150 13.3%
151-200 10.6%
201-250 8.4%
251-300 7.0%
301-350 5.0%
351-450 5.0%
451-550 2.4%
551-650 2.1%
651-750 1.4%
751+ 8%
Chart 9 shows that just over 18% of Housing First participants move into their tenancies within 50 days. The proportion of participants waiting over 350 days is just under 19%. This is a slight drop from 20% in the previous reporting period. This average has been calculated on a national basis due to the small number of tenancies in some local authority areas at present.
Referral Route
Chart 10: Referral route of Housing First participants.
Homelessness application 56.4%
Area housing office 10%
Other 10.2%
Third Sector 7.1%
Addiction referral 5.7%
Criminal Justice System 4.9%
Prison 3.3%
Through-care/ after-care 1.2%
Police/NHS 0.5%
Chart 10 note: Chart percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Housing First support
The data for this section is based on the main Housing First participant in 686 tenancies where support continues to be provided, and the tenancy is ‘live’. This excludes tenancies which are in the ‘step down’ or ‘stand down’ phase.
Local authorities were asked to record the support that each Housing First participant is currently receiving or has previously received. Given the small numbers in a number of categories, information on ‘current’ and ‘previous’ support needs have been combined for disclosure control purposes.
Chart 11: Proportion of Housing First participants with support needs.
General Housing Support 97%
Budgeting 86%
Upkeep of Tenancy 85%
Accessing Benefits 83%
Resettlement 81%
Mental Health 80%
Drugs 71%
Safety/Security 68%
Social Isolation 64%
Criminal Activity 64%
Advocacy 53%
Alcohol 49%
Physical Health 44%
Exploitation 38%
Literacy 31%
Other 26%
Sexual Health 18%
Learning Disability 10%
Personal Care 11%
Chart 11 shows the proportion of participants who were recorded as having a ‘current’ or ‘previous’ support need across 19 categories.
Chart 12: Proportion of Housing First participants with support needs which are not catered for.
Mental Health 7.7%
Other 4.7%
Budgeting 4.2%
Exploitation 3.1%
Learning Disability 2.6%
Drugs 2.5%
Upkeep of Tenancy 2.5%
Alcohol 2.5%
Advocacy 2.0%
Criminal Activity 1.9%
Sexual Health 1.7%
Literacy 1.7%
Physical Health 1.6%
Safety/Security 1.7%
General Housing Support 1.3%
Social Isolation 1.2%
Personal Care 1.2%
Chart 12 Note: The ‘Other’ category includes Housing First participants who have unmet support needs across ‘Accessing Benefits’, ‘Resettlement’ and ‘Other’ categories. Due to the small numbers within each area, we are unable to provide a more detailed breakdown.
Chart 12 shows where support was required, but not provided, for Housing First participants across the same 19 categories. Nearly eight percent of participants require mental health support which is not provided, this is a slight reduction on the last reporting period.
Chart 13: Housing First participants with current multiple support needs.
Support 1-5 Areas 17%
Support 6-10 Areas 48%
Support 11-15 Areas 32%
Support 16+ Areas 3%
Chart 14: Housing First participants receiving support by provider.
Third and Independent Sector 60%
Health and Social Care Partnerships 57%
Alcohol and Drugs Partnership 54%
Mental Health Service 41%
Other 15%
Peer Support 10%
Chart 14 shows a breakdown of the services involved in delivering support to Housing First tenancies.
Chart 15: Housing First participants receiving support from multiple support providers.
0 Support Providers 9%
1 Support Provider 26%
2 Support Providers 18%
3 Support Providers 22%
4 Support Providers 16%
5 Support Providers 7%
6+ Support Providers 2%
Chart 15 note: Informal support was also provided for 35% of Housing First participants.
Chart 15 provides detail of the number of partners providing Housing First support. In 26% of Housing First tenancies, support was provided solely by one provider, likely where a local authority has undertaken a procurement exercise to commission Housing First support from an external provider. Nine percent of participants were recorded as having no support provider and 35% receive informal support.
Employment status
20 Housing First participants are employed either full-time or part-time, and 10 participants are engaged in voluntary work.
Summary
The Housing First initiative in Scotland has shown substantial progress in providing stable housing to individuals. With 986 tenancies started since 1 April 21 and an impressive 89% sustainment rate over 12 months, the programme demonstrates effective support and housing stability for participants. The significant engagement across 26 local authorities highlights a widespread commitment to addressing homelessness through permanent housing solutions. However, the programme faces challenges, such as long waiting periods for tenancy placement and unmet support needs, particularly in mental health services. Addressing these gaps could further enhance the programme's effectiveness and provide more comprehensive support to participants.
[1] Housing First tenancies which started before 1 April 2021 and those part of the Housing First Pathfinder programme have been included in this figure (Estimated 834).
[2] The overall estimated numbers have been revised in line with the most up to date local reporting, including the removal of duplicate records.
[3] The ‘step down’ process involves agreement from the tenant and lead support worker that support is no longer required, and a regular check-up process is agreed so that support can re-engage if required. The ‘stand down’ stage occurs when Housing First support is no longer required.
[4] Tenancy sustainment rates are calculated by dividing the number of individuals who were still housed in a Housing First tenancy 12 months after they entered (since 1 April 2021) by the total number of individuals who have been housed at least that length of time ago and multiplying by 100. Tenants who have passed away are excluded from the denominator used in the analysis.
[5] The overall estimated numbers have been revised in line with the most up to date local reporting, including the removal of duplicate records and inclusion of an additional 26 tenancies which started pre October 2023 but that were not included in previous reporting period.
[6] Housing Options is a process, which starts with housing advice when someone approaches a local authority with a housing problem. This means looking at an individual's options and choices in the widest sense.
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