Housing options (PREVENT1) statistics in Scotland: 2022-23

A note on interpreting the figures

As local authority needs differ, it is appropriate to tailor service provision accordingly. Therefore, the use and implementation of Housing Options varies greatly between local authorities.

For that reason, it is not appropriate to make direct comparions between local authority Housing Options figures. Instead, local authority figures should be only used to understand the delivery of Housing Options at an individual local authority level.

A quick guide to Housing Options

Local authorities have a statutory duty to ensure advice and information is available free of charge about:

• homelessness and the prevention of homelessness, and
• any services which may assist a homeless person or assist in the prevention of homelessness

When households seek assistance for housing-related issues from their local authority, they may be presented with advice on a range of Housing Options, including the opportunity to make a homelessness application. This is known as Housing Options and began to be implemented from around 2009.

The aim of this approach is to make households aware of their options for accommodation, and ensure they can make a more informed choice.

However, it is important to note that Housing Options is not a statutory function, but local authorities can use it in the delivery of their statutory duties.

Impact of coronavirus (COVID-19)

There was a decrease in Housing Options approaches and activity in 2020-21 because of COVID-19. This was likely a combination of limitations on local authorities being able to carry out services and decreased demand due to temporary measures put in place.

Temporary Coronavirus legislation was implemented to protect renters over the COVID-19 period by extending notice periods for eviction proceedings. In addition, mortgage payment deferrals were introduced across the UK in March 2020 for customers experiencing issues paying their mortgage during COVID-19.

Caution should therefore be applied when making comparisons with 2020-21 figures, however, these comparisons are in themselves useful in observing any changes in trends since the onset of the pandemic.

Where findings are believed to have been impacted by COVID-19, or associated temporary protective measures, these have been outlined within the relevant sections.

Impact of cost of living crisis

The emergency Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 came in to force on 28 October 2022, as a response to the ongoing emergency situation caused by the impact of the cost crisis on those living in the rented sector in Sotland. It introduced extra protections for tenants during the cost crisis, including: a rent cap; a moratorium on the enforcement of eviction orders; and increased protections against illegal evictions.

Further information on the temporary rent cap and moratorium on evictions is available on the Scottish Government website.

This came in to force partway through the reporting period 2022-23. Where figures are believed to have been impacted by cost of living crisis, these have been outlined within the relevant sections.

Official Statistics in Development Publication for Scotland

These statistics are official statistics in development. Official statistics in development may be new or existing statistics, and will be tested with users, in line with the standards of trustworthiness, quality, and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics.

Local authorities tend to focus resources on the delivery of statutory services and the recording of associated information. Similarly, the non-statutory nature of Housing Options means that local authorities will often ramp up and scale down such activity depending on their needs and resource availability. For these reasons, although the data is subject to thorough quality assurance checks, it is often difficult to a) identify data quality concerns and b) if identified, resolve these fully.

Work is on-going with local authorities to improve the quality of the data. Improvement to this data also falls under the remit of the homelessness statistics data review project which seeks to ensure all homelessness – and prevention of - data collection content is fit for purpose and of high quality. This project involves engagement with a large range of stakeholders to shape future data collections. In addition, as outlined in Programme for Government 2023 to 2024, the Scottish Government plan to introduce legislation which will include new duties aimed at the prevention of homelessness. This would remove the non-statutory nature of, and increase priority on, homelessness prevention, which should lead to an improvement in data quality.

Scottish Government statistics are regulated by the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR). OSR sets the standards of trustworthiness, quality and value in the Code of Practice for Statistics that all producers of official statistics should adhere to.