Figures show homeless spending longer in temporary accommodation
One in 10 homeless people spend more than a year in temporary accommodation, according to new research.
Shelter Scotland is blaming Scotland’s chronic shortage of social housing for the fact that over 2,000 “homeless households” are in temporary accommodation for more than a year.
Freedom of information requests made by the charity also highlight that the shortage of social housing means the average stay in temporary accommodation for homeless households is around 18 weeks, while one in four households spend more than six months there.
The report shows that 60% of all homeless families and individuals spend time in temporary accommodation while their local authority deals with their application – equivalent to around 22,000 households last year.
Temporary accommodation is used by local authorities during assessment and when no permanent lets are available.
Its quality can vary greatly between local authorities and within individual local authority areas.
The Use of Temporary Accommodation in Scotland report is released as the latest Scottish Government homelessness statistics are issued, which show the number of households in temporary accommodation has risen slightly, despite the number of homelessness applications falling.
Long stays in temporary accommodation are detrimental to people’s health and wellbeing - Graeme Brown
Scottish councils received around 9,100 applications for homelessness assistance during July to September 2014, three per cent lower than in the same period in 2013, figures show.
In addition to the fall in applications, the number assessed as homeless, or likely to become homeless within two months, fell by 3% to around 7,400.
The charity is calling on the Scottish Government to make it a legal requirement for local authorities to monitor and report on the use of temporary accommodation and to introduce guidance on minimum standards for the quality of temporary housing.
Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, said: “Last year 36,457 households applied as homeless in Scotland, so the provision of good quality temporary accommodation is crucial to help them through their crisis.
“But long stays in temporary accommodation are detrimental to people’s health and wellbeing, particularly children, so it is very worrying that one in 10 homeless households spent more than a year without a home.
“We need to make sure that, where long-term stays can’t be avoided, minimum standards of accommodation must be met, not just in the quality of the accommodation, but also in terms of the support and services provided.”
Housing minister Margaret Burgess said: “We are working closely with local authorities and their partners to prevent homelessness, increase the number of affordable homes and address the issue of empty homes.
“Councils have been developing services in which staff assist households to consider their range of housing options to address their housing needs in order to help prevent homelessness before it occurs.
“The Scottish Government’s Housing Voluntary Grant Scheme has also allowed third sector organisations, such as Age Scotland, Scottish Women’s Aid and Shelter Scotland, to develop projects that prevent homelessness.
“We are also investing over £1.7 billion to deliver 30,000 affordable homes during the lifetime of this parliament, working with local authorities to build record numbers of council houses and have abolished the right to buy to protect up to 15,500 social homes from sale over the next 10 years.”
