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Statutory Homelessness: 3rd Quarter 2007, England

Published 10 December 2007

This release provides summary information, collected through the quarterly P1E returns, on local housing authorities' activities under homelessness legislation. This includes the number of households accepted as owed the main homelessness duty (referred to as acceptances) during the quarter, and the number of households in temporary accommodation on the last day of the quarter. The Notes to Editors section 'Definition of terms' provides more detail of terms used, as footnoted, within the release.

Download the tables from this release below:

Key information from data collected for July - September 2007 show that:

Household acceptances(1)

  • There were 16,540 acceptances, during the July to September quarter, 15 per cent lower than during the same period in 2006.
  • On a seasonally-adjusted(2) basis, there were 16,000 acceptances, 1 per cent higher than the previous quarter.

Chart 1

Households in temporary accommodation(3)

  • 82,750 households were in temporary accommodation on 30 September 2007, 3 per cent lower than at the end of the previous quarter, and 11 per cent lower than this time last year.
  • We have now seen a downward trend since the fourth quarter of 2005, which follows a period when numbers had been static at around 101,000.
  • 86 per cent of households were in self-contained accommodation(4). 5 per cent were in bed and breakfast hotels (the same proportion as last quarter).
  • 76 per cent of households in temporary accommodation included dependent children.

Chart 2

Decisions(5) taken by local authorities on homeless applications

During July to September, local authorities made 35,200 decisions on homeless applications by eligible households. This is 17 per cent lower than the corresponding quarter in 2006. After seasonal adjustment the number of decisions was 33,920, 2 per cent lower when compared to the previous quarter.

Chart 3.

Decisions taken

Of the 35,200 applications made during the third quarter of 2007:

  • 47 per cent of applicants were accepted as owed the main homelessness duty;
  • 28 per cent were found not to be homeless;
  • 17 per cent were found to be homeless but not in priority need; and
  • 7 per cent were found to be intentionally homeless and in priority need. 

Chart 4.

Households accepted(1) as owed a main homelessness duty (acceptances)

Between July and September, local authorities accepted 16,540 households as being owed the main homelessness duty (acceptances). This is 15 per cent lower when compared with the corresponding quarter last year. After seasonal adjustment the number of acceptances during the third quarter of 2007 was 16,000, 1 per cent higher than the previous quarter.

Acceptances by ethnicity and by region

Between July and September, 73 per cent of acceptances were from households classified as White, and 21 per cent from an ethnic minority group. The remainder were from households where the ethnic origin was not stated. This breakdown has not changed significantly in recent years.

Compared to the population as a whole, where 8 per cent of households are from an ethnic minority group, there is a far higher incidence of acceptances amongst these groups than amongst the White population.

Chart 5

However, there is large variation in the ethnicity across the regions. In London, only 40 per cent of acceptances were White, while in the North East the proportion was 94 per cent. London had the highest percentage of acceptances from Black and Asian groups (30 and 12 per cent respectively) and also for other ethnic groups (11 per cent). The West Midlands had the next highest acceptances from Black and Asian groups (at 8 and 10 per cent respectively).

Acceptances by region per 1,000 households

The West Midlands and London had the highest incidence of acceptances per 1,000 households during the quarter, at 1.1, compared to 0.8 for England as a whole. The South East, at 0.4 per 1,000 households had the lowest.

Map of Homelessness Acceptances 2007 Q3

Acceptances by priority need(6) category

Between July and September, in 58 per cent of acceptances the presence of dependent children in the household was the primary reason for priority need, and a further 12 per cent of households had priority need because they included a pregnant woman. Since 1997 the percentage of acceptances who were households that included dependent children or an expectant mother has ranged between 60 and 70 per cent.

Chart 6

Acceptances by reason for loss of last settled home

Between July and September, in 36 per cent of acceptances the reason for homelessness was because parents, relatives or friends (mostly parents) were no longer able, or willing, to accommodate them.

Chart 7

In a further 19 per cent of acceptances during the third quarter the reason for homelessness was the breakdown of a relationship with a partner, with over two-thirds of these cases involving violence.

In 15 per cent of acceptances the reason for homelessness was the ending of an assured shorthold tenancy. At 3 per cent, the proportion of acceptances where homelessness resulted from mortgage arrears was much lower than its peak level- 12 per cent during 1991.

Acceptances by household type

Of the 16,540 acceptances between July and September, 45 per cent were lone mothers, and 19 per cent were couples with dependent children. One person households accounted for 27 per cent of acceptances, with a slightly higher proportion male.

Chart 8.

Acceptances by age-band

Between July and September, the vast majority of all acceptances were applicants under 45 years old. 47 per cent were aged between 25 and 44, and 40 per cent between 16 and 24.

Action taken in respect of acceptances

Of the 16,540 acceptances between July and September, 54 per cent were placed in some form of temporary accommodation for a period of time. A further 32 per cent were recorded as "homeless at home"7 while awaiting the provision of alternative accommodation and 10 per cent were provided with settled accommodation, by being granted a secure tenancy in local authority or registered social landlord accommodation, or an assured shorthold tenancy. The remaining 4 per cent either made their own arrangements or had no further contact with the authority, thus bringing the homelessness duty to an end.

Households in temporary accommodation(3)

The number of households in temporary accommodation on 30 September 2007, arranged by local authorities under homelessness legislation was 82,750. This is 2,150 (3 per cent) lower than at the end of the previous quarter, 10,340 (11 per cent) lower than on the same date last year, and 18,550 (18 per cent) lower than the peak in temporary accommodation use during 2004. 

Of these 82,750 households, 13 per cent were being accommodated pending a decision on their application, or pending the outcome of an appeal to the county court on the authority's decision, or had been found intentionally homeless and in priority need and subsequently were being accommodated for such a period as would give them a reasonable opportunity to find accommodation for themselves.

86 per cent of households in temporary accommodation were in self-contained(4) accommodation (either in local authority or registered social landlord stock or within the private sector) and 14 per cent were in accommodation with shared facilities (bed and breakfast; hostels and women's refuges).

Households with children in temporary accommodation

Of the 82,750 households in temporary accommodation on 30 September, 62,830 (76 per cent) included dependent children and/or a pregnant woman.

Of these 62,830 households with children, 92 per cent were in self-contained accommodation. Only 900 (1 per cent) were in B&B accommodation and of these 127 had been resident for more than 6 weeks (one fifth of these housed under local authorities' discretionary powers).

Households in temporary accommodation, by type of accommodation

There is a wide range of accommodation used to provide temporary accommodation (TA) and most is self-contained (86 per cent).

Chart 9

Use of accommodation with shared facilities has been declining in recent years, through reduced bed and breakfast usage, with a rise in the provision of self-contained accommodation. In this respect there has been a significant increase in the short-term leasing of accommodation by local authorities or housing associations from private sector landlords.

On 30 September 2007:

55,000 households were in private sector accommodation (66 per cent of all households), most commonly in a property leased by the local authority or registered social landlord (RSL, or housing association), or in some cases let directly to the applicant as the tenant of a private sector landlord. This is a drop of 2 per cent compared with the end of last quarter, down 8 per cent since the same date last year, but remains similar compared to 2004, when the overall use of temporary accommodation peaked.

16,490 households were in accommodation owned by social landlords (20 per cent of all households), 4 per cent lower than last quarter, a drop of 18 per cent since last year, and a decrease of 42 per cent since 2004. Of these 16,490 households, 71 per cent were in local authority owned stock, and 29 per cent in RSL owned property.

7,180 households were in hostel accommodation and women's refuges (9 per cent of all households), 1 per cent lower than last quarter, a decrease of 15 per cent since last year, and 31 per cent lower than 2004.

4,090 households were in bed and breakfast accommodation (5 per cent of all households), unchanged compared to last quarter, 17 per cent lower than last year, and 45 per cent lower than 2004. Use of B&B peaked in September 1987, when 47 per cent (England) and 59 per cent (London) of households in temporary accommodation were in bed and breakfast.

In addition to the 82,750 households in temporary accommodation, there were 9,540 households accepted as owed a main duty and recorded as "Homeless at Home"7 on 30 September. This is 4 per cent higher than the equivalent figure last quarter, but 2 per cent lower than last year, and 44 per cent lower than 2004.

Households in temporary accommodation, by region

London had the highest number of households in temporary accommodation on 30 September, accounting for 70 per cent of the England total, but moving further below 60,000. The South East had the next highest, with 9 per cent of the England total. The North East, with less than 1 per cent, had the lowest.

Map of households in temporary accommodation.

Most regions show a drop in temporary accommodation compared to the end of last quarter. London figures fell by 1,310, but the biggest percentage drops were in the North East  and East Midlands (15 per cent).  The North West and the West Midlands increased by 9 per cent and 5 per cent respectively.

England had a rate of 3.9 households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households. Of the regions, London had the highest rate at 18.6 per 1,000. The South West had the next highest rate, at 2.3 per 1,000 households. The North East had the lowest rate at 0.4 per 1,000 households.

Households in temporary accommodation, by household type and ethnicity

Of the 82,750 households in temporary accommodation at the end of September, the biggest group (43 per cent) were lone female parent households with dependent children. Couples with dependent children accounted for over a quarter (26 per cent) of households. Single person households with no dependent children accounted for 21 per cent of households, the majority of which were male.

Chart 10

Just under half (47 per cent) of all households in temporary accommodation were minority ethnic households. The vast majority of these households were in London, reflecting the high usage of temporary accommodation and larger ethnic minority population in the region.

Households leaving temporary accommodation or no longer recorded as Homeless at Home

Between July and September, the main homelessness duty was ended for 16,280 households who had previously been in temporary accommodation or recorded as homeless at home. 11,000 (68 per cent) of these households were provided with settled accommodation, by accepting a "Part 6" offer of a secure tenancy in local authority or RSL accommodation, although a further 7 per cent refused such an offer.

An additional 6 per cent accepted alternative offers of rented accommodation. 14 per cent of households voluntarily left the temporary accommodation arranged by the local authority. The remaining 5 per cent of households ceased to be eligible, or became intentionally homeless from the temporary accommodation provided for them.

Length of time in arranged accommodation

Of the 16,280 households who left temporary accommodation or were no longer recorded as homeless at home during the quarter, 59 per cent had been in temporary accommodation or homeless at home for less than six months. 16 per cent had been in temporary accommodation or homeless at home for two years or more.

Chart 11.

Over recent years, the percentage of households who spend 2 or more years in temporary accommodation or recorded as homeless at home has been increasing, although it has been stable over the last four quarters.

In the third quarter of 2007, 47 per cent of households in London had previously spent 2 or more years in temporary accommodation or homeless at home, compared with 19 per cent in the same period in 2004.  The South East and South West have the next highest proportions, with 16 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.

Chart 12

Notes to Editors

Definition of terms

1. Acceptances: households found to be eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and falling within a priority need group, during the quarter (as defined by homelessness legislation (see paragraphs 8-10 below)), and consequently owed a main homelessness duty by a local housing authority.

2. Seasonal adjustment: the seasonally adjusted estimates have been produced using the X11-Arima model, in accordance with National Statistics practices, which have then been constrained so that they are consistent with the unadjusted financial year totals. Historically, the number of decisions and acceptances tends to be lower in the second quarter than in the first and third quarters, and will also be affected by seasonal holiday periods, especially Christmas and the New Year.

3. Temporary accommodation: households in temporary accommodation (excluding applicants who are recorded as "homeless at home") on the last day of the quarter, as arranged by a local housing authority as a discharge of their statutory homelessness functions. In most cases, the authority is discharging the main homelessness duty to secure suitable accommodation until a settled home becomes available for the applicant and his/her household. However, the numbers also include households provided with accommodation pending a decision on their homelessness application, households pending a review or appeal to the county court of the decision on their case, and households found to be intentionally homeless and in priority need who were being accommodated for such period as would give them a reasonable opportunity to find accommodation for themselves.

4. Self-contained accommodation: this includes all temporary accommodation where the household has sole use of kitchen and bathroom facilities, including property held by local housing authorities, registered social landlords and private sector landlords. A distinction is made between this type of accommodation and accommodation where such facilities are shared with other households (i.e. bed and breakfast, hostels and women's refuges).

5. Decisions: these include only the decisions made by local housing authorities where the applicant has been found to be eligible for assistance and therefore excludes any households found to be ineligible (some persons from abroad are ineligible for assistance).

6. Priority need groups: include households with dependent children or a pregnant woman and people who are vulnerable in some way e.g. because of mental illness or physical disability. The priority need categories were extended by Order in July 2002 to include, additionally: applicants aged 16 or 17; applicants aged 18 to 20 who were previously in care; applicants vulnerable as a result of time spent in care, in custody, or in HM Forces, and applicants vulnerable as a result of having to flee their home because of violence or the threat of violence. It is not possible to establish precisely how much of the changed profile of acceptances is attributable to the Order. Previously, some local authorities would have accepted applicants who fall within the new categories as having a priority need because of "another special reason". This applies in particular to applicants such as vulnerable young people, and people fleeing domestic violence. In the third quarter of 2007 the new priority need categories accounted for 10 per cent of homeless acceptances, slightly less than the third quarter of 2006.

7. Homeless at home:  These are applicants who have been accepted as being owed a main homelessness duty and for whom arrangements have been made for them to remain in their existing accommodation for the immediate future. Prior to the second quarter of 2005, figures were also collected on those potentially "homeless at home" but whose application was still under consideration pending a decision.  Both series are now presented in the final columns of Table 6.

Legislation

8. Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 places statutory duties on local housing authorities to provide assistance to people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. Authorities must consider all applications from people seeking accommodation or assistance in obtaining accommodation. A main homelessness duty (see below) is owed where the authority is satisfied that the applicant is eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and falls within a priority need group. The priority need groups are specified in the legislation, although paragraph 6 above provides a summary.

9. Where a main duty is owed, the authority must ensure that suitable accommodation is available for the applicant and his or her household until a settled home becomes available for them. Where households are found to be intentionally homeless or not in priority need, the authority must make an assessment of their housing needs, provide advice and assistance to help them find accommodation for themselves. Where the applicant is found to be intentionally homeless but falls in a priority need category the authority must also ensure that accommodation is available for long enough to give the applicant a reasonable opportunity to find a home.

Source of statistics

10. The figures in this Statistical Release are based on quarterly returns completed by local authorities in England and estimates for non-respondent authorities. The latest quarter's figures are based on full or partial returns from 350 of 354 local authorities (99 per cent response). Only one London borough did not provide a return. Statutory homelessness statistics are usually published on the first Monday following 51 working days after the end of the quarter. During this time all returns undergo thorough validation and cross-checking, and late returns are pursued to ensure overall response is as complete and accurate as possible, with a minimum target of 90 per cent. This process typically takes around six weeks, after which estimates for missing data are calculated.

11. This Statistical Release, as well as previous Releases, can be accessed and all text, tables and charts downloaded electronically, from the Communities and Local Government website at: www.communities.gov.uk.

12. Further details are available from Alex Arulanandam, Communities and Local Government, Zone 2/A1, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU. Telephone 020 7944 3316. E-mail: homelessnessstats@communities.gov.uk.

13. National Statistics are produced to high professional standards set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice. They undergo regular quality assurance reviews to ensure that they meet customer needs.

14. The publication date for the 4th Quarter (October - December) 2007 Statutory Homelessness Statistical Release is Monday 10th March 2008.

15. Communities and Local Government produces regular Policy Briefings on homelessness, which can be accessed from the website at: www.communities.gov.uk/housing/homelessness/publicationsabouthomelessness/homelessnesspolicybriefings.

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