Homelessness in Scotland: update to 30 September 2025

Outcomes

Key Points

• 6% decrease in closed cases
• 83% of unintentionally homeless cases secured settled accommodation as an outcome. The same as 2024

Homelessness cases are closed once the local authority has fulfilled its statutory duty or contact has been lost with the applicant household for 28 days. Local authorities provide information on the circumstances and outcomes of homelessness cases once they have been closed.

Cases closed

Over the six-month period in 2025, there were 19,280 homelessness applications closed. This is a decrease of 6% compared to 2024. Of those, 15,706 related to households assessed as unintentionally homeless.

Lost contact

Contact was maintained for most households assessed as unintentionally homeless (92%, the same as last year) and intentionally homeless (89%, also the same as 2024).

Outcomes

Of the 14,060 unintentionally homeless cases that closed in the six-month period (where contact was maintained and the outcome known), 83% secured settled accommodation. This is the same as in 2024.

Settled accommodation here is defined as a local authority tenancy, a tenancy with a registered social landlord or a private rented tenancy.

Local authority tenancy and registered social landlord accommodation account for the vast majority of outcomes for homeless households

Chart 6: Outcomes for households assessed as unintentionally homeless or threatened with homelessness, April to September 2025

The proportion of intentionally homeless households securing settled accommodation decreased from 40% to 30%.  However, these are based on relatively small numbers and are therefore susceptible to natural fluctuation.

For cases that closed between April and September 2025, it took an average of 277 days from assessment to case closure. This compares to 275 days between April and September 2024 and 287 days between October 2024 and March 2025.

Housing support assessments

Upon closing a homelessness case, local authorities are required to assess whether any housing support services are required by the household for any cases assessed as unintentionally homeless and where it has reason to believe that support would be beneficial. It also has a duty to provide that support if needed.

Across Scotland, assessments for housing support needs were carried out in 84% of cases where there was a duty to assess between April and September 2025. Support was provided for 44% of all cases, although support was not provided for 4% who were identified as needing it. In 16% of cases where there was a duty to assess, no assessment took place and no support was provided.