Housing Insecurity and Hidden Homelessness

The Scottish Government is committed to preventing and ending all forms of homelessness and we want our homelessness policies to meet a broad range of needs. It is challenging to develop housing and homelessness policies and allocate the right level of resources to solve problems when we do not fully understand the range of people’s experiences and the scale of the problem. Some people may be experiencing homelessness or are at risk of homelessness – and would meet the legal definition of homelessness – but do not appear in official homelessness statistics. This type of homelessness is hidden from view.

The overarching aim of this research is to reach a better understanding of those people who are homeless, at imminent risk of homelessness or who face housing insecurity but do not appear in Scotland’s official figures. This includes people who do not approach their local authority for help; people who approach their local authority but do not get a response that meets their needs; those who find alternative solutions; or those who do not see themselves as homeless. An improved understanding of the different routes into and out of homelessness will help us address gaps in provision and make Scotland’s homelessness system more responsive to people’s needs.