Temporary accommodation in Scotland: two years on

This is a summary of an online poll conducted by Shelter in September 2004.

ƒ The vast majority of practitioners say that they cannot meet the duty to provide temporary accommodation to everyone who is homeless.

ƒ The most common reason for not meeting the duty is lack of suitable accommodation.

– Temporary accommodation use overall has risen, with furnished flats accounting for the biggest part of that. However, bed and breakfast use has also risen, with almost half of respondents reporting longer stays in bed and breakfast.

– Placing people in temporary accommodation “out of area” is only minority practice but among that minority, its use has increased.

– Despite the recent injection of funding through the “Supporting People” budget the biggest temporary accommodation need is for supported accommodation.

– Use of private sector accommodation – eg leasing property from private landlords – is seldom used at present but is expected to become more common in the future.

The poll shows that – although there are some measures that a council can take, such as exploring private sector partnerships or dovetailing support and accommodation – there is still a pressing need for more and more varied temporary accommodation.