Homelessness accommodation provision and rough sleeping: November 2020

This monthly collection replaces the weekly gathering of intelligence during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

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 data on use of accommodation, we are initially publishing data at the Wales-level only. We are still assessing and understanding the quality of the data being collected. In future, we will consider publishing other breakdowns where possible, including by local authority.

Changes made in this edition

For the first time

• we include a spreadsheet presenting data back to August 2020
• for the estimates of rough sleeping, we are publishing a breakdown by local authority (beginning with November 2020 data)

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

November 2020 is the second month where data on dependent children (aged under 16) in temporary accommodation has been collected separately to total individuals. Due to this, we do not recommend comparing with data prior to October 2020 on use of accommodation.

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, 988 people presenting as homeless were placed into temporary accommodation during the month, 347 fewer than in October 2020. Of these, 136 were dependent children aged under 16, an increase of 21 from October 2020. (a)(b)
• At 30 November 2020, 4,855 individuals were in temporary accommodation, an increase of 120 from 31 October 2020. 1,258 of these were dependent children aged under 16, an increase of 98 from 31 October 2020. (b)(c)(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) Two local authorities were unable to obtain data from women’s refuges in their local authorities. One further local authority was unable to obtain data from women’s refuges in October 2020 only.
(d) One local authority was unable to supply the figure for October 2020 in time for publication. For that local authority, the figure for 31 August 2020 has instead been used.

Homeless individuals moved into suitable long-term accommodation

• 572 homeless individuals were moved into suitable long-term accommodation, 94 fewer than in October 2020. Of the individuals moved into suitable long-term accommodation, 156 were dependent children aged under 16, 21 fewer than in October 2020. (e)

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

Rough sleeping

Please note that this is the first month in which we are publishing a breakdown of rough sleepers by local authority.

• At 30 November 2020, there were 96 individuals sleeping rough throughout Wales. This is a decrease of 14% from the 112 individuals sleeping rough at 31 October 2020. (f)(g)
• As at 30 November 2020, Newport (24), Cardiff (15) Caerphilly (14) and Ceredigion (10) were the local authorities reporting the highest numbers of individuals sleeping rough. All other local authorities reported fewer than 10 individuals sleeping rough, with eight local authorities reporting zero. (f)(g)

(f) Local authorities are asked to base these estimates on local intelligence, not a one-night count.
(g) Caerphilly County Borough Council was unable to provide an estimate for 30 November 2020. The council agreed that an estimate as at 31 October be used for 30 November.