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Post-Devolution Homelessness Policy Reform in Scotland
Hal Pawson, Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh
School of the Built Environment
Homelessness reform under devolution: the story so far…
• Scottish Parliament established 1999• Rough Sleepers Initiative already under way• New administration established ministerial
Homelessness Task Force (HTF) 1999 – reported 2002
• Acts of Parliament 2001 and 2003 implemented most HTF recommendations
• First wave of reforms (2002-03)– ‘Threatened with homelessness’ time frame extended from
28 days to 2 months– Prohibition of B&B placements for families– LA obligation to draw up homelessness strategies from
2003– Right to temp accommodation for non-priority homeless
whilst case assessed
School of the Built Environment
Second wave of reforms (from 2003)
• Requirement to provide (insecure tenancy) accommodation and support for intentionally homeless households
• Ministerial power to suspend local connection provisions
• Abolition of priority/non-priority need distinction by 2012– Seen as devolved Scotland ‘flagship policy’ (along
with free care for the elderly, student financing)– Presented as exemplifying Scottish ‘social justice’
ethos
School of the Built Environment
Practical impacts so far
• Signs that ‘prevention’ approach has impacted on priority acceptances
• But effect far less marked than in England
• Prevention officially promoted – and funded – as in England
• But…– All LAs subject to
Communities Scotland rolling inspection programme and
– CS criteria on ‘good quality homelessness services’ highly tuned to identify ‘gatekeeping’
Trend in homelessness acceptances, 1997-2007
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
1997
-98
1998
-99
1999
-00
2000
-01
2001
-02
2002
-03
2003
-04
2004
-05
2005
-06
2006
/07
(est)
0
20,000
40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
160,000
Scotland (lefthand axis)
England (righthand axis)
Strategies introduced
School of the Built Environment
Implications of abolishing priority need test
• Approx 10,000 more households with right to permanent rehousing
• 33% expansion in LA obligations
• Executive view: replacing ‘bureaucratic categorisation and labelling of applicants’ with ‘outcomes firmly focused on applicants’ needs’
• But necessity for rationing remains – likely to mean more investigative focus on ‘homelessness test’
Households assessed as homeless in Scotland: Priority/ non-priority
split
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
35,000
40,000
45,000
Non-priority (or intentionally) homeless
Homeless & in priority need
School of the Built Environment
Abolition of priority need test – capacity issues
• Falling supply of LA/HA relets already pushing up homeless share of lets
• % of new lets to homeless up from 31% to 42% in three years to 2005/06
• Comparable 2005/06 figure for England – 33%
• 2005/06 Scotland figure higher than any English region outside London
• Substantial regional variations means some councils already severely stressed: in quarter of LAs homeless lets already >50% in 2005/06
Trend in LA lets to new tenants
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
25,000
30,000
03/0
4
04/0
5
05/0
6
06/0
7 es
t
Other new lets
Homeless lets
Homeless lets as % of total new lets
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
00/0
1
01/0
2
02/0
3
03/0
4
04/0
5
05/0
6% o
f new
lets
to h
om
ele
ss
hhld
s Scotland
England
School of the Built Environment
Abolition of priority need test: accommodating the impact
• Exec recognition of capacity issues:‘We will only implement changes at a pace sustainable and manageable for local authorities’
• 2004/05 exercise to estimate impact of 2012 wider rehousing duty combined with falling relet supply
• 7 (of 32) LAs predicted 2012 statutory homeless would exceed 100% of total social housing supply
• Two thirds of LAs anticipate the majority of all new social lets needed to accommodate homeless households in 2012
• Prospect of social housing sector accessed largely through homelessness channel
School of the Built Environment
Scottish Exec action to address capacity issues
• Strengthened powers of LAs to require HA rehousing of homeless households
• Statutory duty on private landlords & mortgage providers to notify LAs of possession actions
• National grant funding regime for LA prevention activities (total 2005/06 homelessness funding: £57M)
• Stepped up affordable housing construction – see graphic
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
7,000
8,000
pro
ject
ed d
wel
ling s
tart
s
2005
/06
2006
/07
2007
/08
Communities Scotland affordale housing investment programme
School of the Built Environment
Future prospects
• 2007 change of government unlikely to result in policy reversal
• But concern at no SNP commitment to further expanding affordable housing supply (unlike Lib Dems and Greens)
• Homelessness prevention good practice guidance expected later in 2007
• 2009 ‘interim target’ for LAs to ‘reduce by 50% the proportion of homeless households they assess as non-priority’ – base year 2005/06
• Executive committed to looking for ways to make greater use of private sector through ‘review of Assured Tenancy regime’
