Help!
To help you make sense of the statistics, here is an explanation of some of the homelessness terms used by the council and the government. There is a lot more information on homelessness on this website. It’s also worth looking at the 2005 Code of Guidance for a (fairly!) friendly introduction to homelessness legislation and the duties on councils to help out. If you can’t find the answers you are looking for, then give us a call on 0131 226 4382 or send an email to inquiries@scsh.org.uk
Some Definitions
| Homeless application
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Anyone over 16 who has nowhere safe and secure to stay can approach the local authority and present as homeless. The local authority must interview them to determine; (1) whether they are ‘homeless’; (2) whether they are in ‘priority need’; (3) whether they are ‘intentionally homeless’; (4) whether they have a ‘local connection’ with the area. The terms in quotes all have a special meaning, as set out in legislation. They are all explained on this page. The help the council has to provide a person depends on the answers to these questions. |
| Household |
Homeless applications are made per household and not per person. Obviously, for a single person it comes to the same thing, but many applications come from families. So the number of people who are affected by homelessness is larger than the number of applications made. |
| Homeless |
A person is homeless if the place they are staying is not safe or secure. A person doesn’t need to be sleeping rough to count as homeless. For example, a person counts as homeless if they are threatened with violence or other abuse where they are staying. And they are homeless if they are staying on a friend or relative’s sofa and have nowhere more permanent to go. The precise rules are complicated - see here for more information. If a person is homeless the council has a duty to provide them with temporary accommodation for a reasonable period + provide advice and assistance to sort out their housing. Again, there is more information on the council’s duty here and in the 2005 Code of Guidance. |
| Priority Need |
Some people who apply as homeless are classified as ‘priority need’. All 16-17 years olds, all households with children under 16, and young people 18-20 who were in care at their school leaving age automatically count as ‘priority need’. The rules are complicated - but see here for more information and the 2005 Code of Guidance for lots more detail. If a person is homeless and in priority need the council has a duty to find them a permanent place to stay, e.g. a council or housing association flat. This usually won’t happen straight away, so if they are in priority need they are likely to spend some time in temporary accommodation. Note if someone is ‘intentionally homeless’ (see below) then the council only has to provide temporary accommodation. |
| Intentionally Homeless |
If someone has deliberately done (or failed to do) something which leads to their becoming homeless, then they may count as intentionally homeless. They are not intentionally homeless if they left accommodation that it wouldn’t be reasonable for them to stay in. (Of course the word ‘reasonable’ is open to interpretation. In principle, if someone thought the council was being unreasonable, they could take them to court.) Finally, a person can only count as intentionally homeless if it’s clear that they knew that what they deliberately did (or didn’t do) would lead to them becoming homeless. If a person is intentionally homeless, the council does not have a duty to find them a permanent place to stay, but they still have to provide temporary accommodation for a reasonable time and to give advice and information to help sort their housing out. |
| Local Connection |
If a person does not have a local connection with the area, the council may refer their case to another local authority. However, if they are homeless then the council has to provide help, including temporary accommodation in the meantime. Having a local connection means, for example, having lived in the area for a good while, having a job there, or having family. There are more details in the 2005 Code of Guidance. |
| Household Type |
When the government publishes homelessness statistics it divides the households applying into the following types: single person under 18; single person 18-24; single person 25-retirement; single person over retirement age; single parent under 25; single parent 25+; couple without children; couple with children; other. The actual data the government collects are more detailed. The statistics are collected from councils who have to fill in a form (called an HL1) for each homelessness application. |
| Assessment Type |
When the council is dealing with a homelessness application it has to record the outcome. The outcome will fall into one of the following categories: homeless (priority unintentional), homeless (priority intentional), homeless (non-priority), not homeless, loss contact / withdrew before assessment; resolved prior to assessment. As you can see from our tables, in the published statistics the government does not separate out all of these categories.
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| 2012 |
As part of the Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act (2003) the government will get rid of the priority / non-priory distinction in 2012. This means, in effect, that all people who are homeless will have the same rights as those who now count as being in priority need, i.e. all homeless people will have the right to be provided with permanent accommodation by the local authority. There are other changes in the law that will take place before 2012. Watch our website for details of the upcoming changes. |
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