The Scottish Executive provides annual statistics on homelessness in Scotland each year. With six years to go until 2012, (the date the government is committed to giving everyone in Scotland a right to a home) Shelter has taken the opportunity to analyse the most recent statistics  and evaluate progress towards meeting the target.

The paper begins with an outline of the nature of homelessness and a brief introduction to the current legislative and policy context (Section 1). It then looks at homeless applications (Section 2); why people become homeless (Section3); and what happens to them when they do (Section 4). The next part of the report (Section 5) considers some of the key issues raised by recent statistics on homelessness, in particular, the following issues are looked at in turn; rationing and gatekeeping; prevention; the impact of legal change; young homeless people; repeat applications; lost contacts; and securing accommodation. Conclusions are set out as Section 6.