Homelessness accommodation provision and rough sleeping: May 2021

It covers temporary accommodation and provision of long term accommodation for people who present to local authorities for housing support as they are at risk of homelessness.

This data has not undergone the same level of quality assurance as official statistics and the data may be revised in future.

The figures for the latest month should be treated as provisional. Not all local authorities have been able to provide comprehensive data and this is reflected, where relevant, in the footnotes.

For the estimates of rough sleeping, we publish a breakdown by local authority (from November 2020). For data on use of accommodation, we are initially publishing data at the Wales-level only.

Ability to compare with statutory homelessness statistics and the rough sleeper count

It is important to note the following differences between this new monthly collection and our existing data collections and publications on statutory homelessness:

• This monthly data relates to the number of individuals experiencing homelessness and being supported by local authorities into temporary accommodation or suitable long-term accommodation.
• Our quarterly and annual collections on statutory homelessness capture data on number of households, not individuals. That data relates to homelessness as defined by the Housing (Wales) Act 2014.

In addition, we do not recommend comparisons between the rough sleeping estimates from this monthly collection and the annual rough sleeper count (up to November 2019). In this monthly collection, local authorities are asked to base their estimates on local intelligence. The annual rough sleeper count has a different methodology: a two week information gathering exercise, followed by a one night snapshot count.

Main points

Comparisons over time

At this stage, it is important not to put too much emphasis on data for an individual month or comparisons with previous months. This monthly collection of management information and the guidance provided is continuing to be refined and improved.

Use of temporary accommodation

• Throughout Wales, 1,094 people presenting as homeless were placed into temporary accommodation during the month, 44 less than in April 2021. Of these, 223 were dependent children aged under 16, an increase of 46 from April 2021. (a) (b) (c)
• At 31 May 2021, 6,383 individuals were in temporary accommodation, an increase of 105 from 30 April 2021. 1,394 of these were dependent children aged under 16, an increase of 58 from 30 April 2021. (b) (d)

(a) One local authority did not include ‘homeless at home’.
(b) One local authority reported households, not persons. Therefore, there will be a small undercount in the total figures presented.
(c) One local authority revised figures for April 2021.
(d) Two local authorities were unable to obtain data from women’s refuges in their local authorities.

Homeless individuals moved into suitable long-term accommodation

• 483 homeless individuals were moved into suitable long-term accommodation, 52 more than in April 2021. Of the individuals moved into suitable long-term accommodation, 144 were dependent children aged under 16, an increase of 31 from April 2021. (e) (f)

(e) One local authority reported households, not persons. Therefore, there will be a small undercount in the total figures presented.
(f) One local authority revised figures for April 2021.

Rough sleeping

• At 31 May 2021, there were an estimated 76 individuals sleeping rough throughout Wales. This is an increase of 6 from the 70 individuals sleeping rough at 30 April 2021. (g)
• As at 31 May 2021, Caerphilly (14), Cardiff (11), Newport (8) and Denbighshire (7) were the local authorities reporting the highest numbers of individuals sleeping rough. All other local authorities reported 5, or fewer, individuals sleeping rough, with five local authorities reporting zero. (h)

(g) One local authority revised figures for April 2021.
(h) Local authorities are asked to base these estimates on local intelligence, not a one-night count.