Scottish Homelessness Statistics, 2025-26

Homelessness Statistics covering 2025-26 have been released today.

Findings for that period show:

• There were 41,443 homelessness applications; 197 (0%) more than 2024-25.
• There were 35,002 households assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness; an increase of 346 (1%) compared to 2024-25.
• There were 34,964 live applications as at 31 March 2026; an increase of 3,091 (10%) compared to 31 March 2025.
• The number of households in temporary accommodation was the highest in the series at 19,004 at 31 March 2026. This is an increase of 10% compared to March 2025.
• The number of children in temporary accommodation also reached the highest in the time series. This was 10,715 at 31 March 2026, an increase of 5% compared to 2025.
• The number of households reporting rough sleeping the night before application has increased from 2,464 to 2,949 and in the three months prior from 3,579 to 4,115 between 2024-25 and 2025-26.
• The average time spent in temporary accommodation for cases that closed in 2025-26 was 237 days. This is 3 days less than 2024-25 and compares to 325 days, on average, for cases that are still open.
• 83% of households assessed as unintentionally homeless secured settled accommodation in 2025-26, the same as 2024-25.
• The time it takes to close a homelessness case following assessment, and where the household has been assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness, has decreased from 281 to 277 days between 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Background

The full statistical publication is available on our website.

The Homelessness in Scotland: 2025-26 publication presents information on local authority homelessness applications, assessments and outcomes in the period from 1 April 2025 to 31 March 2026, and places it in the context of longer-term trends. It also provides data on the number of households in temporary accommodation throughout the same period.

Breakdowns by gender, age and ethnicity are provided as part of this release. The statistical report contains data and infographics of main findings with further detail available via equalities tables available on our website.

Official statistics are produced by professionally independent statistical staff more information on the standards of official statistics in Scotland is on the Scottish Government website.