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Scotland's Chief Statistician today released statistics on the operation of the homeless persons legislation in Scotland.

The publication provides detailed information about applications to local authorities for assistance under homelessness legislation covering the period to 2009-10, including the main reasons for homelessness, characteristics of applicant households and the assessments and outcomes of applications.

It also includes information on households placed in temporary accommodation as a result of a homelessness application at March 31, 2010, and notifications of households at risk of homelessness due to eviction.

The main points are:

Applications and applicant households

• An estimated 56,669 applications were made to Scottish local authorities under the Homeless Persons legislation in 2009-10. This represents a decrease of 1.6 per cent compared to the 57,595 applications during 2008-09.
• The majority of households applying were single-person households (61 per cent of applications). Single parents, predominantly women, accounted for the next largest group (24 per cent of applications).
• In 2009-10, 29 per cent of homelessness applications were because of a dispute in the household and a further 26 per cent were because the applicant had been asked to leave.
• Rent arrears or mortgage default account for around 5 per cent of homelessness applications in 2009-10.

Local authority assessment

• In 2009-10, 85 per cent of homeless applicants were assessed as priority, an increase of 2 percentage points since 2008-09. Increases in the proportion accorded priority reflects progress towards the 2012 homelessness commitment.
• In 24 of the 32 Scottish local authority areas, the percentage of homeless assessed as priority increased between 2008-09 and 2009-10.
• In 9 local authorities, over 90 per cent of homeless assessments were accorded priority. These include Dundee (99 per cent), West Dunbartonshire (98 per cent), Renfrewshire (96 per cent) and Angus, where 100 per cent of homeless assessments were accorded priority.
• In 16 local authority areas, between 80 and 90 per cent of homeless were accorded priority.
• In 4 local authority areas, between 70 and 80 per cent of homeless were accorded priority.
• In 3 local authority areas, under 70 per cent of homeless were assessed as priority. These were East Lothian (60 per cent), Scottish Borders (68 per cent) and Shetland (64 per cent). In each of these areas, the proportion of homeless accorded priority decreased between 2008-09 and 2009-10.
• Outcomes
• In 2009-10, 12,334 homeless applicants secured a local authority let and 8,002 homeless applicants secured a housing association let as the final outcome of their application.
• Lets to homeless households accounted for an estimated 42 per cent of available social lets in the period.
• Households in temporary accommodation and breaches of unsuitable accommodation order
• As at 31 March 2010, there were 10,815 households in temporary accommodation who had been placed there under the Homeless Persons legislation, an increase of 8 per cent since March 2009.
• As at 31 March 2010, there were 3,724 households with children or pregnant women in temporary accommodation, a decrease of 3 per cent since March 2008.
• As at 31 March 2010, there were 53 households with children or pregnant women in bed and breakfast accommodation. This varied by local authority, with 17 local authorities having none, 6 councils having 1 household with children in bed and breakfast and 2 local authorities - Fife and Highland - having 10 or more.
• A total of 9 breaches of the Unsuitable Accommodation Order were reported at 31 March 2010; a significant drop compared to the 30 breaches reported at 31 March 2009.
• Households at risk of homelessness due to eviction: notifications under section 11 of the Homelessness etc (Scotland) Act 2003 In the quarter ending 31 March 2010, a total of 3,645 notifications to local authorities under section 11 of the Homelessness etc (Scotland) Act 2003 of households at risk of homelessness due to eviction were received. The majority of these (68 per cent) were by creditors, while a further 29 per cent were by housing associations and 3 per cent by private landlords.

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