Operation of the Homeless Persons Legislation in Scotland: 2012-13

3. Applications

Trends

3.1. Chart 1 shows the number of homeless applications, the number of these assessed as homeless and the number of priority assessments in each year between 1992-93 and 2012-13. Changes in applications and assessments over this period have in part been driven by changes in legislation, policy and practice.

3.2. The increase in homelessness between 2000-01 and 2006-07 was, in part, a consequence of Scottish homelessness legislation^[3] which extended councils' duties to non-priority homeless households.

3.3. The narrowing of the gap between the number of homeless and the number of priority homeless from 2000-01 is primarily a consequence of action by local authorities to move towards the 2012 homelessness commitment - that by December 2012 all homeless households will be assessed as priority. Section 4 below provides more detail.

3.4. The reduction in homeless applications from 2006-07 and in particular the very large continuing reductions from 2010-11 are mainly due to the impact of the introduction of housing options services in Scottish local authorities with a focus on prevention. This is discussed in more detail below.

Chart 1: Scotland: Number of applications and assessments under the homelessness legislation

Recent changes

3.5. Between 1 April 2012 and 31 March 2013 councils received a total of 39,827 homelessness applications. This is a reduction of over 5,700 (13%) applications over the previous year.

3.6. The number of applications in 2012-13 is 34% lower than the peak value seen in 2005-06, when around 61,000 homelessness applications were made (Chart 1).

3.7. In the year to 2012-13 the number of applications has fallen in 29 out of 32 local authorities. In thirteen councils the number of applications fell by up to 10% and in two councils - Angus and Orkney - the number of applications fell by over 30%. Applications have increased in three local authority areas - Scottish Borders (17% increase), East Renfrewshire (13% increase) and Moray (6% increase).

What is causing the reductions?

3.8. It is very unlikely that the large reduction in homelessness applications over the past two years is a consequence of any changes in the social and economic factors which cause households to approach councils for assistance with an acute or urgent housing need. All other things being equal we might have expected homeless applications to increase in the present recession and also as a consequence of Welfare Reforms.

3.9. It is much more likely that the reductions are a consequence of a major Scotland wide approach to prevent homelessness. Through this, councils have been developing services, generally described as 'housing options services' in which staff assist households to consider the range of options available to address their housing needs. For example councils might provide mediation services to assist in resolving disputes within the household, or they might assist households secure a private let by guaranteeing the rent deposit. As a consequence, some of the households who might previously have made a homelessness application will now have their housing needs met without first becoming homeless or being threatened with homelessness^[4].

3.10. An Evaluation of the homelessness options hubs published in May 2012 showed that there was wide variation between councils in the speed of implementation of housing options/ homelessness prevention. The evaluation stated that it was not possible within the evaluation methodology to attribute all of the reduction in applications to the impact of the housing options approach. (Paragraph 2.14). The evaluation also notes in paragraph 3.30 that "[a number of local authorities] felt that the progress on housing options 'on the ground' has been very significant indeed". The evaluation, which only covered the start of the roll out of the approach, also went on to add that "a smaller number of local authorities are not in a position yet to have started to make progress."

Impact on Applications and Assessments

3.11. Housing options appears to be having a uniform impact across household types and age groups, at least at the Scotland level. There is no evidence to indicate that any one group is being impacted more by housing options work than any other.

3.12. However, whilst the number of applications has reduced, how these applications are assessed appears to be changing slightly. In 2009/10 and 2010/11, 75% of cases were assessed as homeless or potentially homeless. However, by 2012/13, this proportion had increased by five percentage points to four-fifths. The main reason for this change is a decrease in cases where contact was lost prior to the assessment decision being made.

3.13. In summary, whilst housing options work is reducing the total number of applications overall, the evidence suggests that it is also reducing the number of lost contacts between the application and assessment stage. The increase in priority need assessments is linked to local authorities meeting the 2012 target, rather than an underlying change in the profile of those assessed as homeless.

Characteristics of applicants

3.14. Of the 39,827 applications for assistance in 2012-13, around 25,700 65% were single people, of whom around 17,400 were men and 8,300 were women. Around 11,600 applications (29% of applications) were from households with children, most of whom were single parent households (23% of all applications). Of the 8,979 applications by single parents, 6,621 (74%) were by female applicants. (Chart 2)

3.15. Overall, whilst the number of applications has changed over the last ten years, the profile of households has changed only slightly. The proportion of single parents has remained in the range 22% to 24% since 2002-03: the figure for 2012-13 was 23%. However, since 2007-08, there has been a small but noticeable increase in applications from single people, increasing at a rate of one percentage point per annum, from 60% in 2007-08 to 65% in 2012-13. (Chart 2 and table 2c). This increase may be due to local authorities amending their policies to prepare for the removal of priority need.

Chart 2: Number of applications in 2012-13 by household type

3.16. Chart 3 shows the age distribution of the main applicant in the household, for those who applied as homeless in 2012-13. Homeless households have a young age profile - around half are headed by someone aged under 30 (48% in 2012-13). Female applicants typically have a slighter younger age profile than males - 37% of female applicants are aged under 25 while this figure is only 27% for male applicants.

Chart 3: Age and sex of main applications - all household types: Scotland 2012-13

3.17. The proportion of homeless applications by ethnic group has remained unchanged since 2007-08. From Chart 4, in 91.2% of applications in 2012-13, the main applicant was recorded as White, 1.3% were recorded as Black, Black Scottish or Black British, 1.4% were recorded as Asian, Asian Scottish or Asian British and 3.3% as in other ethnic groups. An ethnic group was not recorded for 2.9% of all applicants.

3.18. In 2012-13, 393 applicants described themselves as a gypsy/ traveller. However, it is important to note that no response was given to this question for 666 applicants in 2012-13, so the number of gypsy/ travellers applying for assistance may be understated slightly.

Chart 4: Number of applications in 2012-13 by ethnic group of main applicant

3.19. In 2012-13, 1,080 homeless applicants had a household member who had previously been in the armed forces - the lowest number recorded to date. Of these, 371 had been in the armed forces less than 5 years ago and 709 more than 5 years ago. (Chart 5) It should be noted that, for 1,583 applications, the response to the question asking about service in the armed forces was 'not known/ refused'.

3.20. In the same period, 1,624 applicants aged under 25 had a household member who had been formerly looked after by the local authority, of whom 837 had been looked after within five years of making their homelessness application. (Chart 5). This was the lowest number of applications received from formerly looked-after people since recording began in 2007-08. It should be noted that for 1,011 applications, 'not known/ refused' was the response when asked if a member of the applicant household had been previously looked after by the local authority.

Chart 5: Number of applications formerly in the armed forces and number of Applicants formely looked after by the local authority in 2012-13: Scotland

Prior circumstances of applicants

3.21. Of the 39,827 homelessness applications in 2012-13, 17,858 (45%) had been living with friends and relatives, while 13,791 (35%) had been living in their own accommodation (i.e. which they either rented or owned). (Table 3 and Chart 6).

Chart 6: Prior housing circumstances of applicants 2011-12 and 2012-13

Reasons for homelessness

3.22. The main reasons for applying as homeless have remained unchanged over the past year. Relationship breakdown is the main cause of homelessness applications. This is reflected in the high numbers of applicants who cite a dispute within the household (28% of all applications in 2012-13) or being asked to leave (26% of 2012-13 applications). (Table 4 and Chart 9). Rent arrears or mortgage default account for around 5% of all homelessness applications in 2012-13, while 6% of applications are from those leaving prison/ hospital/ care or some other institution.

Chart 7: Main reason for applying for assistance: All applications: Scotland:2012-13

3.23. In addition to the main reason for homelessness, the homelessness statistical return (HL1) allows applicants to identify factors which have also contributed to their homelessness. This reflects the fact that the causes of homelessness can be complex and not the result of a single incident or event. In 2012-13 additional contributory reasons were recorded for 49% of applications. (Tables 5d and 5e).

3.24. Of those cases where there was an additional factor contributing to homelessness:-

• In over half of these (51%) 'not to do with the applicant household' such as landlord selling the property, fire, circumstances of other persons sharing the property, harassment by others - contributed to homelessness.
• In 18% of these cases 'financial difficulties, debt or unemployment' was an additional factor. Notably this is a three percentage point increase on the proportion giving this reason in 2011-12, possibly as a result of Welfare Reforms.
• In 15% of these cases lack of support from friends and family was an additional factor.
• In 13% of these cases drug or alcohol dependency was an additional factor.
• Also in 13% of cases criminal or anti-social behaviour was a factor.

Chart 8: Reason(s) for failing to maintain accommodation: Scotland

Financial and economic reasons for homelessness applications

3.25. There was a 14% reduction between 2011-12 and 2012-13 in the number presenting as homeless because of rent arrears to a local authority, a reduction of 16% in the number presenting as homeless because of rent arrears to a housing association, a reduction of 2% in the number presenting as homeless because of rent arrears to a private landlord.

3.26. However, there was an increase of 75 applications (+16%) in those presenting as homeless because of mortgage default, from 468 applications in 2011/12 to 543 applications in 2012/13 . (Table 5a). This is the first time this number has increased since 2009/10, when 851 applications due to mortgage default were reported.

3.27. The number presenting as homeless because of the forced division and sale of the matrimonial home dropped substantially from 725 in 2007-08, to 374 in 2008-09. Since then there have been around 340 applications per year due to forced divisions. During 2012-13, this reduced further to only 197 applications, a reduction of 22% on the previous year.

3.28. In 2012-13, there were 2,084 applications (5% of applications) which cited rent arrears or mortgage default as the main reason for the application (Table 4). In all, 3,423 applications stated that financial difficulties/ debt/ unemployment were a contributory factor (Table 5d). The number of applications which gave financial difficulties as a contributing factor fell by 6% between 2011-12 and 2012-13, but this reduction was less than the reduction in all applications.

Applicants on waiting lists

3.29. In 2012-13, 35% of homelessness applications were from households on a social housing waiting list immediately prior to their homelessness application. This proportion varied widely between councils from 84% in Dundee to 10% in South Ayrshire. (Chart 9) The response was 'Unknown/ Refused' for 465 of the 39,827 cases in 2012-13.

Chart 9: Percentage of applications in 2012-13 from households on a social housing waiting list immediately prior to their homelessness application

Rough sleeping

3.30. In 2012-13, 4% of applicants (1,737 in total or 145 per month) slept rough the night before applying for assistance. The incidence of rough sleeping among homeless applicants was highest in Edinburgh (363 cases or 9% of applications) and Dundee (97 cases, 7%) while fewer than 1% of applicants were recorded as sleeping rough the night before application in North Lanarkshire. No rough sleepers were reported in Falkirk, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian.

Chart 10: Percentage of homeless applicants in 2012-13 who slept rough the night before applying for assistance