Scottish Housing Market Review Q1 2024

9. Homelessness

In Scotland, there were 20,144 homelessness applications recorded in April to September 2023, an increase of 3% compared to the corresponding period in the previous year (19,486), and an increase of 2,931 (17.0%) compared to April to September 2020, the last comparable period before the Cost-of-Living Crisis.

The number of households assessed as homeless was 16,420, an increase of 4% compared to April to September 2022 (15,793). The number of households in temporary accommodation as at 30 September 2023 was 15,625, an increase of 8% from 30 September 2022 (14,452).

Applications and assessments are at their highest since 2012-13 and 2011-12 respectively, while the number of households living in temporary accommodation is at its highest since the time series began in 2002.

While in 2022-23 as whole, there was an increase from 4,271 in 2021-22 to 5,190 (22%) in households becoming homeless from the private rented sector, there was a fall in the second half of 2022-23: from 3,010 in the period April to September 2022, to 2,240 in the period October 2022 to March 2023 (during which the Cost of Living (Tenants Protection) Act has been in operation).

Proposals in the Housing (Scotland) Bill which relate to homelessness include an ‘ask and act’ duty on social landlords, health boards and the police to ask about a person’s housing situation and act to avoid them becoming homeless wherever possible; reform of provision for people threatened with homelessness up to six months ahead; and provisions for tenants experiencing domestic abuse.

Source: Scottish Government

Note: Homeless applications and assessments refer to the number over the quarter, while temporary accommodation figures refer to the number at the end of quarter.