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• Statistical Release: Statutory Homelessness: 4th Quarter 2007, England

Housing

Statistical Release: Statutory Homelessness: 4th Quarter 2007, England

Published	10 March 2008

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 Definition of Terms section provides more detail of terms used, as footnoted, within the release.

Download the tables from this release below:

• Statutory homelessness: 4th quarter 2007, England (PDF, 146kb, 10 pages)
• Tables 1-10 (MS Excel, 681kb)
• Supplementary tables - Local Authority Breakdown (MS Excel, 262kb)

Key information from data collected for October to December 2007 show that:

Household acceptances(1)

• There were 15,240 acceptances, during the October to December quarter, 12 per cent lower than during the same period in 2006
• On a seasonally-adjusted(2) basis, there were 15,870 acceptances, 1 per cent lower than the previous quarter

Households in temporary accommodation(3)

• 79,500 households were in temporary accommodation on 31 December 2007, 4 per cent lower than at the end of the previous quarter, and 11 per cent lower than this time last year. The number is below 80,000 for the first time since 2001
• 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
• 87 per cent of households were in self-contained accommodation(4). 4 per cent were in bed and breakfast hotels (a slightly lower proportion than last quarter)
• 75 per cent of households in temporary accommodation included dependent children

Decisions(5) taken by local authorities on homeless applications

During October to December, local authorities made 31,150 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 31,950, 6 per cent lower when compared to the previous quarter. 

• Table 1: Decisions by type of decision Decisions taken (MS Excel, 681kb)

Decisions taken

Of the 31,150 applications made during the fourth quarter of 2007:

• 49 per cent of applicants were accepted as owed the main homelessness duty; 28 per cent were found not to be homeless; 15 per cent were found to be homeless but not in priority need; and 8 per cent were found to be intentionally homeless and in priority need

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

Between October and December, local authorities accepted 15,240 households as being owed the main homelessness duty (acceptances). This is 12 per cent lower when compared with the corresponding quarter last year. After seasonal adjustment the number of acceptances during the fourth quarter of 2007 was 15,870, 1 per cent lower than the previous quarter.

Acceptances by ethnicity and by region Between October and December, 71 per cent of acceptances were from households classified as White, and 23 per cent from an ethnic minority group. The remainder were from households where the ethnic origin was not stated. 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.

However, there is large variation in ethnicity across the regions. In London, only 39 per cent of acceptances were White, while in the North East the proportion was 91 per cent. London had the highest percentage of acceptances from Black and Asian groups (30 and 11 per cent respectively) and also for other ethnic groups (12 per cent). The West Midlands had the next highest acceptances from Black and Asian groups (at 10 and 9 per cent respectively).

• Table 2: Acceptances by ethnicity (MS Excel, 681kb)

Acceptances by region per 1,000 households

London and the West Midlands had the highest incidence of acceptances per 1,000 households during the quarter, at 1.1, compared to 0.7 for England as a whole. The South East, at 0.4 per 1,000 households had the lowest.

• Table 3: Acceptances by region (MS Excel, 681kb)

Acceptances by priority need(6) category

Between October and December, in 58 per cent of acceptances the presence of dependent children in the household was the primary reason for priority need, and a further 11 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.

• Table 4: Acceptances by priority need category (MS Excel, 681kb)

Acceptances by reason for loss of last settled home

Between October and December, 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.

 

In a further 18 per cent of acceptances during the fourth quarter the reason for homelessness was the breakdown of a relationship with a partner, with over two-thirds of these cases involving violence.

In 16 per cent of acceptances the reason for homelessness was the ending of an assured shorthold tenancy. At 4 per cent, the proportion of acceptances where homelessness resulted from mortgage arrears has been increasing since 2003, but remains much lower than its peak level- 12 per cent during 1991.

• Table 5: Acceptances by reason for loss of last settled home (MS Excel, 681kb)

Acceptances by household type

Of the 15,240 acceptances between October and December, 44 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.

Acceptances by age-band

Between October and December, the vast majority (almost 90 per cent) of all acceptances were applicants under 45 years old. 49 per cent were aged between 25 and 44, and 39 per cent between 16 and 24.

• Table 10: Acceptances and temporary accommodation by household and applicant characteristics (MS Excel, 681kb)

Action taken in respect of acceptances

Of the 15,240 acceptances between October and December, 55 per cent were placed in some form of temporary accommodation for a period of time. A further 31 per cent were recorded as "homeless at home"7 while awaiting the provision of alternative accommodation and 11 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.

• Table 8: Outcomes: those accepted during the quarter and those leaving temporary accommodation or no longer recorded as homeless at home during the quarter (MS Excel, 681kb)

Households in temporary accommodation3

The number of households in temporary accommodation on 31 December 2007, arranged by local authorities under homelessness legislation was 79,500. This is 3,250 (4 per cent) lower than at the end of the previous quarter, 10,010 (11 per cent) lower than on the same date last year, and 21,800 (22 per cent) lower than the peak in temporary accommodation use during 2004.

Of these 79,500 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.

87 per cent of households in temporary accommodation were in self-contained4 accommodation (either in local authority or registered social landlord stock or within the private sector) and 13 per cent were in accommodation with shared facilities (bed and breakfast; hostels and women's refuges).

Young people in temporary accommodation

Of the 79,500 households in temporary accommodation on 31 December, 59,990 included dependent children and/or a pregnant woman (112,260 children or expected children).

Of these 59,990 households with children, 93 per cent were in self-contained accommodation. Only 700 (1 per cent) were in B&B accommodation and of these 117 had been resident for more than 6 weeks.

A recent addition to data reported by local authorities is the number of 16 and 17 year old headed-households in different forms of temporary accommodation, including bed and breakfast style hotels. At the end of December, there were 550 households headed by 16 and 17 year old applicants in bed and breakfasts.

• Table 6: Temporary accommodation, by type: of which with children, including homeless at home (MS Excel, 681kb)

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 (87 per cent).

Use of accommodation with shared facilities has declined over recent years, largely through reduced bed and breakfast usage. The proportion of self-contained accommodation has therefore increased, in particular private sector accommodation leased short term by local authorities or housing associations, as well as other private sector accommodation.

On 31 December 2007:

53,440 households were in private sector accommodation (67 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 3 per cent compared with the end of last quarter, down 9 per cent since the same date last year, and a drop of 3 per cent compared to 2004, when the overall use of temporary accommodation peaked.

15,910 households were in accommodation owned by social landlords (20 per cent of all households), 4 per cent lower than last quarter, a drop of 16 per cent since last year, and a decrease of 44 per cent since 2004. Of these 15,910 households, 70 per cent were in local authority owned stock, and 30 per cent in RSL owned property.

6,620 households were in hostel accommodation and women's refuges (8 per cent of all households), 8 per cent lower than last quarter, a decrease of 16 per cent since last year, and 36 per cent lower than 2004.

3,530 households were in bed and breakfast accommodation (4 per cent of all households), down 14 per cent on last quarter, 16 per cent lower than last year, and 53 percent lower than 2004. Use of B&B peaked in December 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 79,500 households in temporary accommodation, there were 8,080 households accepted as owed a main duty and recorded as "Homeless at Home"7 as at 31 December. This is 15 per cent lower than the equivalent figure last quarter, 5 per cent lower than last year, and 53 per cent lower than 2004.

Households in temporary accommodation, by region

London had the highest number of households in temporary accommodation, at 56,740 on 31 December, accounting for 71 per cent of the England total. 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.

All regions showed a drop in temporary accommodation compared to the end of last quarter.

England had a rate of 3.8 households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households. Of the regions, London had by far the highest rate at 18.3 per 1,000. The South West had the next highest rate, at 2.1 per 1,000 households. The North East had the lowest rate at 0.3 per 1,000 households.

• Table 7: Temporary accommodation: by region (MS Excel, 681kb)

Households in temporary accommodation, by household type and ethnicity

Of the 79,500 households in temporary accommodation at the end of December, the biggest group (44 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 22 per cent of households, the majority of which were male.

Half of all households in temporary accommodation were minority ethnic households. The vast majority of these households (over 90 per cent) were in London, reflecting the high usage of temporary accommodation and larger ethnic minority population in the region.

• Table 10: Acceptances and temporary accommodation by household and applicant characteristics (MS Excel, 681kb)

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

Between October and December, the main homelessness duty was ended for 16,860 households who had previously been in temporary accommodation or recorded as homeless at home. 11,100 (66 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 9 per cent refused such an offer.

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

• Table 8: Outcomes: Those accepted during the quarter and those leaving temporary accommodation or no longer recorded as homeless at home during the quarter (MS Excel, 681kb)

Length of time in arranged accommodation

Of the 16,860 households who left temporary accommodation or were no longer recorded as homeless at home during the quarter, 58 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.

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, particularly in London.

In the fourth 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 26 per cent in the same period in 2004. The South East and South West have the next highest proportions, with 19 per cent and 16 per cent respectively.

• Table 9: TA: by length of stay, by region (MS Excel, 681kb)

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 (ie 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 October 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 fourth quarter of 2007 the new priority need categories accounted for 9 per cent of homeless acceptances, slightly less than the fourth 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 353 of 354 local authorities (over 99 per cent response). All London boroughs provided full or partial data. Statutory homelessness statistics are published around 51 working days after the end of each quarter, on a pre-announced date in accordance with the National Statistics Code of Practice. 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/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/.

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 1st Quarter (January - March) 2008 Statutory Homelessness Statistical Release is Thursday 12 June 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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