Homelessness accommodation provision and rough sleeping: September 2020

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

It covers emergency accommodation and provision of long term accommodation for people (aged 16+) 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.

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.

Ability to compare with statutory homelessness statistics

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 emergency 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.

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 emergency accommodation

• Throughout Wales, 1,195 people presenting as homeless were placed into emergency accommodation during the month. This is a 23% increase from the 974 people placed into such accommodation during August.
• At 30 September 2020, 4,048 individuals were in temporary accommodation. This is a 13% increase from 3,577 individuals(r) as at 31 August 2020. (a)(b)(c)(d)

(a) One local authority did not include ‘homeless at home’.
(b) Two local authorities were unable to obtain data from women’s refuges in their local authorities.
(c) One local authority has reported households, not persons. Therefore, there will be a small undercount in the total figures presented.
(d) One local authority was unable to supply the figure for September in time for publication. For that local authority, the figure for 31 August has been used for 30 September.
(r) Revised.

People moved into suitable long-term accommodation

• 571 homeless individuals were moved into suitable long-term accommodation. This is a 34% increase from the 427 individuals(r) moved in August. (e)(f)

(e) One local authority was unable to provide any data for this category.
(f) For August, one local authority reported households not persons. Therefore, there will be a small undercount in the total figure presented for August.
(r) Revised.

Rough sleeping

• At 30 September 2020 there were 110 individuals sleeping rough throughout Wales. This is a 9% increase from the 101 individuals sleeping rough as at 31 August 2020. (g)

(g) Local authorities are asked to base this data on local intelligence, not a one-night count.