Overview of homelessness data

Housing

Purpose and uses of homelessness data in Communities and Local Government

Data reported by local authorities are analysed extensively within Communities and Local Government and, as well as informing cross-Government policy formulation, are used to measure progress against specific homelessness-related targets such as those incorporated in Communities and Local Government's Public Service Agreements and Five Year Plan. Past and current examples include:

eliminating the long-term use of Bed and Breakfast style accommodation for households with/expecting children by March 2004.
halving the number of households housed in insecure temporary accommodation by 2010 (5 Year Plan).
reducing the number of rough sleepers by at least two-thirds of the 1998 level by 2002.

Data are also an essential tool in Ministerial briefing, the conduct of associated Parliamentary business, and in providing feedback to local authorities to assist their own assessment of local housing and homelessness strategies.

Data collected

Summary data on local authorities' decisions on homelessness applications and the key characteristics of households found to be statutorily homeless are collected quarterly, while estimates of rough sleepers are collected annually. The quarterly statistics are National Statistics, which mean they are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice and its protocols.

Statutorily Homeless households

Communities and Local Government's primary source of data on statutorily homeless households is the quarterly P1E return titled Local Authority activity under homelessness provisions of the 1996 Housing Act. Completion of these returns is not mandatory for LAs but the final response rate is currently around 99 per cent.

Limited summary data on local authorities' homelessness acceptances, use of temporary accommodation, average length of stay in Bed & Breakfast (B&B) as collected in the quarterly P1E, and additional information on lettings to homeless households by social landlords are also collected through our Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA) return.

Enlarged European Economic Area

From 1 May 2004, Communities and Local Government amended the rules on eligibility for an allocation of housing under Part 6, and eligibility for homelessness assistance under Part 7, of the 1996 Housing Act. These changes apply to applicants who are persons from abroad and who are not persons subject to immigration control. This includes applicants from any country within the enlarged European Economic Area ('EEA').

Communities and Local Government has subsequently collected information on access to social housing and homelessness assistance for households from the eight eastern European Accession States (the A8 States are: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia and the Czech Republic), as well as two countries which acceded in 2007 (the A2 states are Bulgaria and Romania). This is part of the Government's wish to monitor the situation to ensure that allowing nationals from the Acession States access to the UK labour market does not adversely impact on that market, or on the UK benefits system (including social housing). From April 2005 this monitoring has been incorporated within an expanded quarterly P1E return.

The following live tables contain data on homelessness amongst foreign national households:

Table 628 (MS Excel, 50 kb)
Local Authority assistance to A8 and A2 (2007) nationals under homelessness provisions of the 1985 and 1996 Housing Acts: decisions on application for assistance (including ineligible) by A8 and A2 (2007) nationals, England

Table 629 (MS Excel, 53 kb)
Local authority assistance to A8 and A2 (2007) nationals under homelessness provisions of the 1985 and 1996 Housing Acts: reason why main duty owed to A8 and A2 (2007) applicant household, England

Details of the forms used

P1E - Local Authority activity under homelessness provisions of the 1996 Housing Act

The purpose of this return is to collect information on English local housing authorities' discharge of their duties under the homelessness legislation. The form seeks a range of statistical information, including applications, acceptances by each priority need group and reasons for loss of last settled home during the quarter, and the number of households provided with various types of temporary accommodation as at the end of the quarter. Information is also collected on the overall length of time households remain in temporary accommodation.

Information covered:

decisions on homelessness applications, by ethnicity
acceptances by priority need category reason for loss of settled home, referrals, immediate outcome/action taken by local authority, levels of repeat homelessness and age of applicant
households provided with temporary accommodation as at end of each quarter, by type of accommodation, and distinguishing households with dependent children, plus number of children
households leaving temporary accommodation, by final outcome and elapsed length of stay (in time bands); length of stay (in time bands) in both bed & breakfast and hostel style accommodation, analysed by household type
decisions made on applications by Foreign Nationals, by application status and nationality.

Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA)

A wide range of local authority housing information is collected in the annual HSSA returns. The Homelessness section collects summary data on a financial year basis. The data are consistent with those collected in the quarterly P1E return, but because of their different collection dates and potential data revisions, these common data may not match precisely. HSSA's Lettings section also collects information on lettings of homeless households in priority need.

Information covered

statutory homeless household acceptances, and proportion with dependent children/expectant mothers, during latest and previous three financial years
proportion of repeat homelessness
homeless households in priority need and in temporary accommodation (including "homeless at home") as at 31 March of latest and previous three years, distinguishing those with dependent children/expectant mothers, and those households in B&B accommodation.
average length of stay in B&B and hostel accommodation (BVPI 183)
LA lettings to statutorily homeless households on secure, introductory and other tenancy arrangements during latest and previous three financial years
homeless households taking up nominations to RSL and other tenancies, including those under mobility schemes and non-LA permanent placements, during latest and previous three financial years
typical numbers of people sleeping rough, and dates of head counts undertaken by the local authority.

Collection of rough sleepers data

Communities and Local Government's Rough Sleepers Unit keeps a record of the dates and numbers of rough sleepers for any counts carried out by any local authorities over the last 18 months. This information is used to check against that supplied by the LA in their HSSA return. Any discrepancies are referred back to the LA concerned. The final accepted count figures together with the LAs' estimated figures where no counts were carried out during the reporting financial year from the HSSA are published in the annual report.

Publications available

Communities and Local Government publishes quarterly statutory homelessness Statistical Releases (under National Statistics protocols) covering latest results. Also available is a range of the latest data tables (live tables).

Spreadsheets (Excel format) of all statutory homelessness data as reported by local authorities each quarter are available free of charge from the Publications on homelessness data section.

Also, source data collected but not published are made freely available to researchers, academics, and a wide variety of public and private sector organisations, as well as in response to enquiries from the general public.

Estimates of the number of rough sleepers from counts and local authorities' own estimates supplied in the Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix return are available annually.