Homelessness in Scotland: Equalities Breakdown 2019 to 2020

Ethnicity

The following provides key findings for aspects of homelessness where there are differences based on the ethnicity of the main applicant.

However, differences for aspects of homelessness were not always as clear for ethnicity as other characteristics. This indicated that a housing situation or need may be more closely linked with age, gender or household composition than ethnicity.

Care should be taken when interpreting the findings as some of these are based on small numbers.

Reasons for homelessness and prior circumstances

'Other' ethnic group applicants are much more likely to become homeless from supported accommodation. This is likely due to this group including a large number of applications from households granted refugee or leave to remain in the UK status.

White British (12% of applications from this group), White Irish (11%) and White Polish (11%) applicants were proportionally more likely to report rough sleeping compared to 8% for all applications.

White Scottish applicants are proportionally more likely to have been previously assessed as homeless, with 6% previously assessed in the last 12 months. This compares to 2-4% for other ethnic groups. 6% of Caribbean or Black applicants and 5% of mixed/multiple ethnicity were reassessed as homeless, though these figures are based on relatively small numbers of applications.

Support needs

The most common support need amongst White Scottish and White British was mental health problem (29%). This compares to 21% for White Irish and Mixed/multiple ethnicity, the groups with the next highest proportion having this support need.

Temporary accommodation

Applicants with 'other' ethnicity are most likely to have at least one temporary accommodation placement (81%); this may be related to this group containing a larger proportion of applicants granted refugee or leave to remain in the UK status. Those of White Irish ethnicity were least likely to have a temporary accommodation placement (57%).

This ties in with the disproportionately low number of breaches seen for these ethnicities (less than 40% of all breaches).

Conversely, there are a disproportionately high numbers of breaches for all other ethnicities, with the exception of White Irish and unknown.

Those with other or unknown ethnicity had disproportionately high levels of not being offered temporary accommodation (13% and 11% respectively).

Outcomes

It took 300 days on average from application to case closure for African applicants and 277 days for Caribbean or Black applicants, compared to 224 days overall. This ties in with the higher average time in temporary accommodation for these groups.