The Homelessness Monitor series provides an independent analysis of the homelessness impacts of recent economic and policy developments across Great Britain, including a survey of local authorities and interviews with key informants from the sector.

This fifth Scotland-focused Monitor report provides a state-of-the-nation look at homelessness in Scotland, and focuses in particular on ongoing implementation of the Scottish Government’s Ending Homelessness Together Action Plan, as well as the homelessness impacts of the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Key findings

Key research findings

Homelessness trends

• Most local authority homeless services are reporting increased footfall from service users in the past year, with more than half saying this has increased significantly.
• The most severe and immediate forms of homelessness (“core” homelessness e.g., rough sleeping, sofa surfing, staying in hostels, refuges or unsuitable forms of temporary accommodation) have risen by 11% since 2020 to an estimated 18,400 households.
• Without action, these forms of homelessness are predicted to increase by one-third by 2026, driven by housing market pressures, a cost of living crisis, fixed Local Housing Allowance rates, low levels of social rented lettings and weak economic performance. After that they are expected fall back. A comprehensive programme of measures could reduce core homelessness by 56% in four years’ time (2026) and 50% against projected levels in the long term (2041).
• Most local authority survey respondents (22 of 30) believed that the cost of living crisis had led to an increase in homelessness in their area, despite UK and Scottish Government support initiatives, with an even higher number (26 of 30) expecting the crisis to drive further increases during 2023/24.

Reference:

Watts-Cobbe, B., Bramley, G., Fitzpatrick, S., Pawson, H., McMordie, L & Young, G. (2024) The Homelessness Monitor: Scotland 2024, London: Crisis.