Homelessness in Scotland

Too many people in Scotland are becoming homeless because of the housing emergency.

Every 16 minutes a household becomes homeless in Scotland.

Homeless applications

In the year 2022/23 there were 39,006 homeless applications made to local authorities, of these 32,240 households were assessed as being homeless or threatened with homelessness.

The number of households that became homeless this year rose by 10% compared to the year before. 

Homeless applications and households assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness in Scotland, 2014 - 2023

In 2022/23 there were 16,263 children in households that were assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness. This is 10% higher than last year and is the equivalent to 45 children in Scotland becoming homeless every day.

To prevent homelessness, we must fundamentally tackle Scotland’s housing emergency and fix the broken and biased housing system. See our strategy to find out how we plan to achieve this.

Graph source: Homelessness in Scotland: 2022 to 2023 (www.gov.scot)

Temporary accommodation

People have the right to be housed in temporary accommodation whilst the local authority is making a decision on their homeless application, and until permanent accommodation is found if they are 'unintentionally' homeless.

The latest government statistics show that on the 30th September 2023 there were 15,625 households trapped in temporary accommodation. The number of households in temporary accommodation in Scotland has risen sharply over the last few years and is now 52% higher than on the 31st March 2014.

Households in temporary accommodation in Scotland, 2014 - 2023

This graph shows the trend of households in temporary accommodation in Scotland over time, from 2014 to 2023. On 31 March 2014 there were 10,281 households living in temporary accommodation. This rose steadily to 11,665 households in March 2020. During the pandemic there was a sharp increase to 14,151 households on 30 September 2020. This number decreased slightly, however the most recent statistics show that the number of households in temporary accommodation is at the highest on record.

There are also increasing numbers of children stuck in temporary accommodation. The latest statistics show that on the 30th September 2023 there were 9,860 children in Scotland living in temporary accommodation.

Graph source: Homelessness in Scotland: 2022 to 2023 (www.gov.scot)

Number of children in temporary accommodation in Scotland 2014 – 2023

The graph shows the number of children living in temporary accommodation in Scotland over time, from 2014 to 2023. On the 31st of March 2014 there were 4,155 children in temporary accommodation. Despite a slight decrease in March 2021 after the height of the pandemic, the number of children living in temporary accommodation has continued to rise. It is now the highest on record, with 9,860 children living in temporary accommodation in September 2023. 

Households with children tend to spend longer in temporary accommodation than households without children. In 2022/23 a couple with children in Scotland spent on average 347 days in temporary accommodation, whereas the average length of stay for all household types was 223 days.

The lack of affordable social homes in Scotland means there are not enough homes for people to move on from temporary accommodation. In particular, the lack of larger social homes means that households with children are stuck in temporary accommodation for long periods.

The most effective way to address the bottleneck in temporary accommodation is to deliver the social homes required, of the right types and in the right places. This should be a priority for the Scottish Government and local authorities.

From both our advice services and official statistics, we know that:

  • some people are not offered temporary accommodation when they are legally entitled to it, an experience known as ‘gatekeeping’. Between April and September 2023 there were at least 1,575 instances when a household was not offered temporary accommodation by their local authority when they had the right to it. An increase of 1400% compared to the 6 months before

  • many individuals are not placed in temporary accommodation which meets their needs or the law. Between April and September 2023 there were 2,335 reported cases of households being placed in temporary accommodation which was deemed by law to be 'unsuitable'. An increase of 19% compared to the year before. However, the Scottish Government has said that reporting on this issue is unreliable and this figure is likely to be an undercount

This is unacceptable. People should be able to realise their rights to temporary accommodation. This means that accommodation is made available when required, that it meets the needs of the household and that it is of sufficiently good quality.

Local authorities must, at a bare minimum, deliver their statutory duties regarding temporary accommodation and be held to account for any breaches.

Graph source: Homelessness in Scotland: 2022 to 2023 (www.gov.scot)

Social housing supply

Only by delivering the social homes required can Scotland achieve the structural change needed to end the housing emergency by ensuring everyone has a secure, warm, and safe home.

The Scottish Government has committed to deliver 110,000 affordable homes over the next 10 years, at least 77,000 (70%) of which will be homes for social rent. By delivering a minimum of 38,500 social homes over the next five years where they are needed most, we can begin to reduce affordable housing need.

There are currently 110,000 households on local authority housing waiting lists across Scotland.

Source: Scottish Government (2023) Scottish Household Survey 2021

Affordable housing supply

The Affordable Housing Supply Programme statistics give us information on the supply of homes for social rent, affordable rent and affordable home ownership. We use these to see if the social homes needed are being delivered.

During the year 2022:

  • approvals for social rented homes have decreased by 21% (1,352 homes) when compared to 2021

  • starts for social rented homes have decreased by 19% (1,382 homes) when compared to 2021.

  • completions of social rented homes have increased by 18% when compared to 2021

Home is everything. We will not give up until the Scottish Government fulfils its promises to deliver the social homes Scotland needs.

Source: Housing statistics for Scotland quarterly update: March 2023 (www.gov.scot)