Darpariaeth llety digartrefedd a chysgu allan: Chwefror 2024
Cyhoeddiad misol ar nifer yr unigolion sy'n cael eu gosod ac yn byw mewn llety dros dro, unigolion a symudwyd i lety tymor hir a phobl sy'n cysgu allan ledled Cymru. Saesneg yn unig.
Efallai na fydd y ffeil hon yn gyfan gwbl hygyrch.
Ar y dudalen hon
Mae’r dudalen yma’n Saesneg. Darllenwch fwy am yr hyn sy’n rhaid i ni ei wneud i gydymffurfio gyda Safonau’r Gymraeg.
Introduction
This publication covers rough sleepers and the provision of temporary and long-term accommodation for homeless people who present to local authorities for housing support.
Detailed breakdowns, including by local authority, can be found on StatsWales (Homelessness accommodation provision and rough sleeping).
This monthly data collection was introduced during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Since its introduction, Welsh Government and local authorities have worked together to improve the data quality by strengthening the data collection guidance. Wales level data is presented from April 2023 onwards, this is due to improvements in data quality from that time.
Data on households applying to local authorities for housing assistance under the Housing Wales Act 2014 (UK legislation) are also regularly published by Welsh Government. However, users need to be aware of the differences between this monthly data collection and the collection on statutory homelessness.
Please see the quality and methodology section for further information.
Main points
- There were 1,461 occurrences of homeless people placed into temporary accommodation in February 2024.
- 11,721 individuals were housed in temporary accommodation on 29 February 2024. The most common type of temporary accommodation was bed and breakfast and hotels, housing 3,897 individuals.
- 717 homeless individuals were moved into suitable long-term accommodation in February 2024.
- There were an estimated 121 individuals sleeping rough throughout Wales on 29 February 2024.
Use of temporary accommodation
Individuals placed into temporary accommodation during the month
Figure 1: Occurrences of people placed into temporary accommodation during the month, April 2023 to February 2024
Description of Figure 1: A line chart showing the fluctuations in occurrences of people placed into temporary accommodation.
Source: Welsh local authority homelessness services
Throughout Wales, there were 1,461 occurrences of homeless people placed into temporary accommodation during the month. Of these, 321 were dependent children aged under 16, and 246 were 16 to 24 year olds. [footnote 1]
There have been 18,402 placements into temporary accommodation in the last 12 months. Repeat placements are common; 15% of placements into temporary accommodation in February 2024 were of individuals who had previously been placed into temporary accommodation within the last 12 months.
Figure 2: Occurrences of people placed into temporary accommodation by reason for homelessness, February 2024
Description of Figure 2: A bar chart showing ‘Moved from unsuitable accommodation’ and ‘Other’ are the most common reasons for placements into temporary accommodation.
Source: Welsh local authority homelessness services
Of the placements into temporary accommodation during February 2024, most occurrences came from ‘Moved from unsuitable accommodation’ (588 occurrences), followed by ‘Other’ (564 occurrences). These 2 categories account for over 79% of reasons for homelessness. ‘Other’ circumstances refers to reasons other than moved off street, previously sofa surfing, moved from other unsuitable accommodation and prison leavers. Accommodation can be unsuitable for several reasons such as: overcrowding, risk of violence, environmental issues, house needing adaption after discharge from hospital or the resident requiring new supported accommodation. [footnote 1]
Homeless individuals in temporary accommodation at 29 February 2024
Figure 3: Homeless individuals living in temporary accommodation at the end of the month, April 2023 to February 2024
Description of Figure 3: A line chart showing a slight increase in total number of homeless individuals and a relatively stable number of children under 16 accommodated in temporary accommodation at the end of each month from April 2023 to February 2024.
Source: Welsh local authority homelessness services
At 29 February 2024, 11,721 individuals were in temporary accommodation. 3,180 of these were dependent children aged under 16.
Figure 4: Homeless temporarily accommodated, by type of accommodation, 29 February 2024
Description of Figure 4: A bar chart showing that the type of accommodation housing the largest number of homeless individuals is bed and breakfast and hotels (33%), followed by private sector accommodation (18%), hostels (17%) and local authority stock (17%).
Source: Welsh local authority homelessness services
The type of accommodation temporarily housing the most individuals at the end of February 2024 was ‘bed and breakfast and hotels’ with 3,897 individuals, of which 757 were dependent children under 16. Following this, private sector accommodation, hostels and local authority stock are the other most common types of accommodation used across Wales, though this can vary between local authorities (see StatsWales for local authority breakdowns). Under 16s are most commonly housed in local authority stock, private sector accommodation and bed and breakfast and hotels.
Homeless individuals moved into suitable long-term accommodation
Figure 5: Homeless individuals moved into suitable long-term accommodation during the month, April 2023 to February 2024
Description of Figure 5: A line chart showing that the number of homeless individuals moved into suitable long-term accommodation fluctuates each month.
Source: Welsh local authority homelessness services
In February 2024, 717 homeless individuals were moved into suitable long-term accommodation. Of these, 215 were dependent children aged under 16.
Rough sleepers
Figure 6: Number of rough sleepers in Wales, April 2023 to February 2024
Description of Figure 6: A line chart showing that the number of rough sleepers in Wales has decreased over the last three months and is the lowest figure since the data started in April 2023.
Source: Welsh local authority homelessness services
Rough sleepers by local authority (StatsWales)
As at 29 February 2024, there were an estimated 121 individuals sleeping rough throughout Wales. Cardiff (21), Newport (19), Gwynedd (14) and Torfaen (11) were the local authorities reporting the highest numbers of individuals sleeping rough. All other local authorities reported 9 or fewer individuals sleeping rough, with four local authorities reporting zero. [footnote 2]
Footnotes
[1] Disclosure control has been applied to the figures for placements into temporary accommodation and to accompanying data on StatsWales. Figures smaller than 3 have been supressed and shown as a ‘*’. All other figures are rounded independently to the nearest 3.
[2] Local authorities are asked to base these estimates on local intelligence, rather than a one-night count.
Quality and methodology information
This monthly data collection was introduced during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic initially as Management Information. These data have now undergone the appropriate quality assurance protocols for Official Statistics. The data may be revised in future therefore the figures for the latest month should be treated as provisional.
Following the introduction of this collection, Welsh Government worked with local authorities to develop this publication and to strengthen the data collection guidance and improve data quality. Due to this development, we saw an improvement in data quality from April 2023, and have therefore started the Wales’ data series from this time point. Not all data is available at local authority level from this date. Local authority breakdowns are provided from the point where relevant guidance had been introduced and used by local authorities.
As less than a year of data is available for most breakdowns, we have kept the commentary on changes to these numbers minimal. We do not recommend making month-to-month comparisons, as there may be seasonal impacts on homelessness or other reasons for fluctuations. These may become clearer and further commentary possible as data becomes available in subsequent years.
Most statistics in this release refer to number of individuals. However, for placements into temporary accommodation the statistics refer to number of occurrences of placements, as individuals may be placed more than once.
Revisions
Where revisions have occurred since the publication of last month’s data, figures will differ from those previously published. Figures that have been revised since previously published are marked with an [r].
This month there have been revisions to the following data:
Homeless individuals living in temporary accommodation at the end of January 2024.
Statutory homelessness
It is important to note the following differences between this monthly data collection and our publications on statutory homelessness:
- The monthly information relates to the number of individuals experiencing homelessness and being supported by local authorities into emergency accommodation or suitable long-term accommodation.
Our 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 (UK legislation).
Rough Sleeping
On 8 November 2019, a one night snap-shot count of rough sleepers was carried out across Wales. The results were published in a statistical release on 4 February 2020. Since then, no further annual rough sleeper counts have been carried out, and rough sleeper data is included in this monthly collection. For this data collection, local authorities are asked to base their estimates on local intelligence, rather than the methodology employed for the previous rough sleeper counts.
Due to the different methodologies, it is not appropriate to compare rough sleeping figures from this monthly collection with those from the annual rough sleeper count.
Proposal to stop the national annual rough sleeper count
Given the availability of alternative data on rough sleepers, we are proposing to stop the national annual rough sleeper count in Wales.
Statutory homelessness statistics for the other UK countries
During 2018, in order to address the problem of inconsistency and support users of homelessness statistics, the Government Statistical Service (GSS) Harmonisation Team explored the feasibility of harmonising the definitions of homelessness for official statistics across the UK. In February 2019 it published the Harmonisation of Definitions of Homelessness for UK Official Statistics: A Feasibility Report (Government Statistical Service). This report concluded that it is not possible in the short term to develop a consistent definition of homelessness for UK official statistics, due to substantive differences in the administrative data systems and legal definitions of homelessness.
The devolved nature of housing and homelessness legislation across the UK means that definitions of homelessness vary. Data collection techniques for homelessness data have been designed to individually reflect the legislation in each country. Operational differences in collecting homelessness information results in differences in homelessness statistics across the four nations and currently there is insufficient guidance on how to compare the related statistics.
Statement of compliance with the Code of Practice for Statistics
All of our statistics are produced and published in accordance with a number of statements and protocols to enhance trustworthiness, quality and value. These are set out in the Welsh Government’s Statement of Compliance.
These official statistics demonstrate the standards expected around trustworthiness, quality and public value in the following ways.
Trustworthiness
These statistics are based on monthly returns directly from local authority homelessness services. Figures are checked and queried where necessary by Welsh Government statisticians.
Quality
The published figures provided are compiled by professional analysts using the latest available data and applying methods using their professional judgement and analytical skillset. Statistics published by Welsh Government adhere to the Statistical Quality Management Strategy which supplements the Quality pillar of the Code of Practice for Statistics and the European Statistical System principles of quality for statistical outputs.
Most of the data included comes from administrative sources which are used in the management of homelessness services. The data is dependent on local authorities maintaining accurate records.
Data for the Welsh Government Homelessness Accommodation Provision and Rought Sleeping Return is collected by Welsh Government directly from local authorities. Local authorities complete data collection forms based on data stored on their respective IT systems and return the completed forms to Welsh Government via its secure web data transfer system.
Validation checks are performed by Welsh Government statisticians and queries referred to local authorities where necessary. The statistical release is then drafted, signed off by senior statisticians and published in line with the statement on confidentiality and data access which is informed by the trustworthiness pillar contained in the Code of Practice for Statistics.
Value
The purpose of the statistical release is to provide evidence for policy development; to allow local authorities to monitor and benchmark their service provision against all other local authorities in Wales; and to inform for the wider public about homelessness provision and rough sleeping across Wales. The monthly statistical release also supports the Welsh Government’s long-term plan for homelessness: Homelessness Strategy.
The release is as timely as possible whilst maintaining reliability, with generally around a 2-month lag between the data currency and availability. Making this information available monthly provides a regular source of data on the provision of homelessness accommodation and rough sleeping.
Well-being of Future Generations Act (WFG)
The Well-being of Future Generations Act 2015 is about improving the social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing of Wales. The Act puts in place seven wellbeing goals for Wales. These are for a more equal, prosperous, resilient, healthier and globally responsible Wales, with cohesive communities and a vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language. Under section (10)(1) of the Act, the Welsh Ministers must (a) publish indicators (“national indicators”) that must be applied for the purpose of measuring progress towards the achievement of the wellbeing goals, and (b) lay a copy of the national indicators before Senedd Cymru. Under section 10(8) of the Well-being of Future Generations Act, where the Welsh Ministers revise the national indicators, they must as soon as reasonably practicable (a) publish the indicators as revised and (b) lay a copy of them before the Senedd. These national indicators were laid before the Senedd in 2021. The indicators laid on 14 December 2021 replace the set laid on 16 March 2016.
Information on the indicators, along with narratives for each of the wellbeing goals and associated technical information is available in the Well-being of Wales report.
Further information on the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.
The statistics included in this release could also provide supporting narrative to the national indicators and be used by public services boards in relation to their local wellbeing assessments and local wellbeing plans.