Overview | Policy and legislation | People at risk of homelessness | Homelessness strategies | Benefits | Prevention & tenancy sustainment

Young people and homelessness

The latest available data shows over 20,500 young people aged under 25 presented to local authorities across Scotland as homeless. People aged 16 - 24 make up 36% of all recorded homeless people, even though people aged 16 – 24 account for only 14% of the adult (16+) population in Scotland.

You can see this in more detail by comparing the two charts below. One shows the age-sex pyramids of adults who are homeless while the other simply shows the age/ number range of the population of Scotland. These charts clearly show that young people are over represented in homelessness statistics.

Chart: age & sex of homeless applicants

Chart: age & sex range of Scottish population

Resolving homelessness is about much more than securing a tenancy for a young person who is leaving home. In some areas up to 70% of tenancies allocated to 16 and 17 year olds break down within six months. SCSH argues that the support must be in place to ensure young people can maintain their tenancies. Our leaving home education resources also try to ensure young people are made aware of the issues involved in leaving home as part of the school curriculum.

There is a significant body of research into youth homelessness in Scotland. Common themes on the causes of youth homelessness include lack of access to affordable housing, changes to the benefits system (e.g. lower benefit rates for younger people) and adverse conditions in the labour market. Breakdown in family relations is a common theme and a significant proportion of young homeless people have been in care before their 16th birthday.

Children’s legislation gives some protection for young people up to the age of 18. In effect the legislation passed in 1995 gives local authorities a duty to house homeless young people aged 16 or 17. Experience shows that this part of the legislation is not implemented consistently across Scotland and that some young people still fall through the safety net. The legislation should ensure that any family with children not accepted under the homelessness legislation receives help with housing their children under this legislation. Again the experience is mixed.

The chart below shows how many young people become homeless per 1000 young people aged 16 –24. Again, recording differences may account for some of the variation between local authorities.

Youth Homelessness by local authority

A vital aspect in preventing homelessness is youth education. SCSH has been at the forefront of this with the creation of our Youth Unit. The unit has overseen the creation of the ‘Streets Ahead’ guide for schools and youth workers and the 'My Space My Place' guide for young people in their first tenancy. It has also supported local councils in framing housing policies that will assist young people maintain their tenancies. To access the Streets Ahead Guide online click here.

Mental health

Scottish Council for Single Homeless published a study in 1993 (Discharged with Care) which looked at the experiences of those discharged from psychiatric hospital in the Lothians. The research identified a number of factors that made homelessness more likely amongst those discharged. These were a lack of care in discharging patients from psychiatric units, a lack of suitable housing on release and inadequate provision of outreach facilities in the community.

Those who have experienced mental health problems are still disproportionately represented amongst the homeless population. SCSH believes this shows that more work is required to ensure those released from institutions receive the support they require to re-integrate themselves into society.

Addiction

Drug or alcohol addiction can be both a cause and effect of homelessness. Unemployment and poverty, however, are usually the "real" causes of homelessness. Whatever the cause and effect, drug or alcohol addictions have to be tackled to enable homeless people to maintain a tenancy. Addictions are amongst the "complex needs" of many homeless people.

The interim evaluation of the Rough Sleepers Initiative in Scotland (1999) showed that nearly half of the homeless people question felt they needed help with drug or alcohol issues if they were to be re-housed. A National Statistics survey (health and well-being of homeless people in Glasgow, 2000) showed a quarter of the 200 homeless people surveyed as having a drug dependence. More than half were classified as having a hazardous pattern of drinking.

Women and homelessness

"I usually sleep on the couch in the living room – sometimes you get a friend with a spare bed in her room – and in my aunt’s I have a room to myself. Here I’m always tired. I have to sleep on a settee in the front room. I don’t get to sleep ‘till about two in the morning ‘cos my friend’s boyfriend ….. he stays in the house watching videos and then I get woken up at six when their baby cries. I go to college and it’s really hard to keep awake during the day.

I went to the Housing and they said you only got a house if you was pregnant or had a kid already. They put my name on the list for a house and then I got a bit of paper to say how many points I’d got and that was the last I heard out of them."

Julie, one of the women interviewed for "My address is not my home", SCSH/GCSH, 1994

The available evidence suggests that the experience of homelessness for women is different to that of men. Women are less likely to perceive themselves as homeless and are therefore less likely to apply to their local authority for help. Significant numbers of homeless women end up sleeping on floors at a friend or relatives house.

Hidden homelessness has been shown to be a particular problem for single women without dependant children. Some may even put up with a failed or abusive relationship due to a lack of anywhere else to go. This was one of the findings of "My address is not my home", an SCSH research report which highlights the reality of homelessness for women.

Ethnic minorities

Evidence from England has suggested that ethnic minorities are over-represented in hostels and bed and breakfast accommodation. Although there is a lack of similar research in Scotland, Positive Action in Housing report that homelessness is one of the main reasons people from ethnic minorities approach their Crisis Support service. Current quarterly reporting to the Scottish Executive does not collect data on ethnic group. SCSH believes that this research gap should be addressed and that policies designed to tackle homelessness should be proofed from an equal opportunities standpoint.

The Race Relations Act should ensure that there is no discrimination on grounds of sex or race. In effect, though, there still remain instances of racial discrimination in the private rented sector (as evidenced by a report by the Commission for Racial Equality). In the social rented sector there is ethnic monitoring to regulation to try to ensure that no such discrimination occurs.

Asylum seekers are governed by a completely different set of rules. They are excluded by law from the provisions of the homelessness legislation and are not allowed to work or have access to public funds other than the allowances they are allocated by the government. As far as their housing is concerned, they are allocated somewhere to stay, but have no housing rights. They are amongst the most excluded groups in Scotland. Only when an asylum seeker gains refugee status in the UK are they covered by homelessness legislation.

Older homeless people

Homelessness amongst older people tends to be hidden. People may "make do" with living with family and may be unwilling to register as being in housing need. Research for SCSH/ Age Concern (We will need to take you in) in 1995 found that the main reasons for homelessness in later life were marital breakdown, ill-health, eviction and breakdown of live-in care arrangements.

Pensioners may also face increasing affordability problems, especially if rent or mortgage payments, fuel and utility bills and other costs rise at a faster rate than their pension increases. This could then lead to arrears building up and the risk of repossession or eviction occurring.

SCSH is convinced that improved support and access to housing would reduce the numbers of older people experiencing homelessness.