OFFICIAL HOMELESSNESS STATISTICS

Overview

Trends in homelessness over time
Household characteristics
Geographical variation in homelessness
Homeless households placed in temporary accommodation

Government statistics do not include people who satisfy the legal definition of homelessness but have not applied to be classified as such, nor people who were officially recognised as homeless in previous years but were deemed 'not in priority need' (thus not entitled to accommodation). Vast numbers of single homeless people can be found in both groups - in England and Wales a person is not entitled to any accommodation unless deemed to be ‘vulnerable', so single homeless people have less incentive to apply. In Scotland they are entitled to temporary accommodation and, from 2012, will be entitled to permanent accommodation.

Single homeless people are included in the Hidden Homeless definition, which comprises all those who satisfy the legal definition of homelessness but have not been provided with accommodation. Crisis has estimated that there are around 400,000 hidden homeless people.

Since the legislation is somewhat different in England, Wales, and Scotland, the data is presented separately for each of the three countries.

Trends in homelessness over time

In England (see England - Trends over Time), the number of households officially recognised as newly homeless in 2007 was 99,500. The numbers have fallen sharply in recent years and are now half what they were in 2004 and well below what they were a decade ago.

In Scotland (see Scotland - Trends over Time ), the number of households officially recognised as newly homeless in 2006/07 was 41,100.¹ The numbers are a third higher than a decade ago.

In Wales (see Wales - Trends over Time ), the number of households officially recognised as newly homeless in 2007 was 9,300. The numbers are now back to their level of a decade ago after rising sharply from 2001 to 2004 and falling equally sharply since 2004.

Household characteristics

Three-fifths of households officially recognised as homeless in England do not have dependent children: see England - Trends over Time .

An age breakdown is not available for England but in Scotland the majority (three-fifths) of the homeless households without dependent children were aged 25 or over: see Scotland - Trends over Time section.

Data on family composition is also not available for England but in Wales just about all the homeless households without dependent children are single people (i.e. not couples) and just about all the homeless households with dependent children are lone parent families (i.e. again not couples): see Wales - Trends over Time section.

By far the biggest reason for becoming homeless is loss of accommodation provided by relatives or friends. Many of those who can be considered legally homeless live in concealed households - households which neither own nor rent the property that they are living in.

Geographical variation in homelessness

Homelessness occurs across Great Britain.

In England (see England - Geographical Variation ), homelessness is more prevalent in London but can be found throughout the country.

In Scotland (see Scotland - Geographical Variation ), homelessness is most prevalent in Glasgow, Clackmannanshire and West Dunbartonshire..

In Wales (see Wales - Geographical Variation ), homelessness is most prevalent in Bridgend, Pembrokeshire and Swansea

Homeless households placed in temporary accommodation

The number of homeless households placed in temporary accommodation, as opposed to permanent accommodation, has increased sharply in recent years throughout Great Britain.

In England (see England - Temporary Accommodation ) ,although now falling, the number of homeless households placed in temporary accommodation by their local authority is still almost double that of a decade ago.

In Scotland, (see Scotland - Temporary Accommodation ), the number of homeless households placed in temporary accommodation by their local authority has doubled since 2002.

In Wales, (see Wales - Temporary Accommodation ), the number of homeless households placed in temporary accommodation by their local authority doubled between 2003 and 2004 and has remained roughly at the 2004 level ever since.

Government figures for temporary accommodation only include households which have been placed in temporary accommodation by local authorities under the Homeless Persons legislation. In England and Wales, this includes households deemed 'in priority need' and unintentionally homeless, which are awaiting permanent accommodation, plus households deemed to be in priority need but intentionally homeless, which are provided with temporary accommodation for a reasonable period in which to find their own accommodation. In Scotland, since 2002, all homeless households judged as 'not in priority need' are also entitled to temporary accommodation alongside those 'in priority need' and intentionally homeless.

These statistics exclude homeless people who are living in temporary accommodation but who have not been provided with this accommodation by their local authority. Crisis estimates that there are around 43,000 such hidden homeless adults living in temporary accommodation in Great Britain (see Hidden Homeless ).

End notes

1 Where the year is given as a financial year, e.g. 2006/07, the figure given is the total between April 2006 and March 2007. When the year is given as a calendar year, for example, 2006, the figure is the total for that year. The complication arises in part because statistics for England and Wales are available by calendar year, but only for financial years in Scotland. Back to top