|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Where is homelessness highest in Scotland? |
|
In 2002/03, the total homeless applications to local authorities was 50,917.
Five areas account for 51% of these: Glasgow, Edinburgh, Fife, and North
and South Lanarkshire. These areas include 40% of the population.
Glasgow has the most homelessness – 12,608 applications, which is
one for every 22 households in the city. Clackmannan – the smallest
mainland authority – has the highest incidence of homelessness:
one application for every 21 households. The Scottish average is one
per 43
households. East Renfrewshire is lowest, with one per 87 households.
|
| Where is homelessness growing fastest? |
|
Most urban areas have seen below-average increases in homelessness
over the past three years – Glasgow (up 3%) and West Lothian
(down 8%).
By contrast, the biggest growth has mainly been in rural, island and
mixed areas - Argyll & Bute (up 70%), North Ayrshire (up 66%),
Highland (up 43%). These authorities are becoming aware that homelessness
is not
just
a big-city problem.
|
| Are children affected by homelessness? |
|
In 2002/03, 9,463 children under 5 became homeless with
their families – that’s
equivalent to 315 nursery classes. Of all the people directly affected
by homelessness, 37% were under 18 – 32% were children in homeless
households, while 5% were16-17 year olds on their own.
|
| What is homelessness? |
|
Not all homeless people sleep rough. Homelessness can also mean rough
hostels, hard floors, cramped and dirty temporary accommodation… It also has
many different triggers including family break-up, redundancy or unemployment,
harassment or abuse; drink, drugs or illness... But underlying all these
is a desperate shortage of affordable housing – see back page for
Scottish Churches Housing Action’s campaign, Building on the
Act.
|
| What about my area? |
|
To find out about homelessness in your own
area – and what local
Churches are doing about it – please contact
us…
These figures are based on the latest annual statistics from
the Scottish Executive. These count ‘households’ who apply
for help to their local authority. A household can be one person or
more than
one.
About
8% of households are counted twice, as they become homeless more than
once in the course of a year.
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
|
