Homelessness in Scotland: update to 30 September 2022

Characteristics

Key Points

• 30% of homeless households contain children
• decrease in the proportion of homeless households with main applicants aged 25-34, with an increase in those 35 and over

Similar to other findings, there has been a general return of the composition of homeless households, following a slight departure from trends over the pandemic. 

In the six-month period in 2022, 64% of homeless households are single people, compared to the peak of 71% in 2020. This remains very slightly below the 65% of all homeless households in 2019. Conversely, the proportion of households with children declined over the pandemic to a low of 24% in 2020 and have increased to 30% in 2022, slightly above the 29% in 2019.

There were decreases in the proportions of single person households whilst proportions of households with children have increased

Chart 7: Household type (households assessed as homeless), 2019 to 2022

Also in line with pre-pandemic proportions, 54% of main applicants of homeless households were male and 46% female in 2022. 

There has been a decrease in the proportion of main applicants aged 25-34, accounting for 31% in 2022 compared to 33% in the last three years. Conversely, the proportion of those 35 years and over has increased from 43% in 2019 to 48% in 2022.

In 2022, 86% of main applicants stated they were of White ethnicity. This compares to a peak of 90% in 2020 and is now slightly below pre-pandemic proportions (87%). Following a low of 6% in 2020, 9% of main applicants in 2022 declared an ethnicity which was not White, in line with pre-pandemic proportions.