What the longest length of time is that a child has spent in temporary accommodation in each local authority area since 2016.

The Scottish Government collects information on the composition of households making homelessness applications through the HL1 data collection. This includes information on the number of children in the household. The HL3 data collection collects information about temporary accommodation placements connected to homelessness applications.
An additional question was added to the HL3 data collection in 2019 to ask if a child is in the temporary accommodation placement. Although all local authorities have been able to provide this data from April 2022, as this is the first time a full set of data has been available, this is subject to on-going quality assurance. Therefore, information relating to the presence of children within temporary accommodation placements has been derived by linking household records between the HL1 and HL3 data collections. However, it is important to note that households may sometimes make alternative arrangements for children when entering temporary accommodation and therefore it is not always the case that children included in the HL1 return are present in associated temporary accommodation placements. It can also be the case that children are present for only part of the stay in temporary accommodation e.g. as part of shared custody arrangements.
Data on temporary accommodation taken from the HL3 data collection is only available for all local authorities from 2017-18, however, this includes temporary accommodation placements which commenced prior to 2017-18. In addition, some local authorities have provided data prior to 2017-18 and, where this is available it has been included.
Information at individual (person or household) level cannot be provided due to data confidentiality.
The following table shows the distribution of time spent in temporary accommodation for households with children included in homelessness applications for each local authority. The figures are based on homelessness applications made since 1 January 2016 that closed on, or prior to, 31 March 2023 with at least one associated temporary accommodation placement. Note that figures may be based on the total duration of multiple temporary accommodation placements taken up by a household.
Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 due to small numbers in some categories.
These figures may include households who have turned down multiple offers of settled accommodation by the local authority and chosen to stay in temporary accommodation instead.
Time spent in temporary accommodation for households with children included in the homelessness application (number of households)
Households with an open homelessness application from 1 January 2016 which was closed at, or prior to 31 March 2023 with at least one associated temporary accommodation placement*
1 month or less
1 to 6 months
6 months to 1 year
1 to 2 years
2 to 3 years
3 years or more
All
Scotland
4,845
15,340
8,095
4,705
1,010
420
34,410
Aberdeen City
290
1,015
210
30
5
0
1,550
Aberdeenshire
135
730
205
50
5
0
1,130
Angus
25
120
40
10
0
0
190
Argyll & Bute
40
145
80
25
5
0
295
Clackmannanshire
60
275
50
10
0
0
400
Dumfries & Galloway
70
395
100
20
0
0
580
Dundee City
115
525
200
90
25
10
965
East Ayrshire
90
345
70
10
0
0
520
East Dunbartonshire
50
160
100
80
25
15
430
East Lothian
45
200
275
175
30
15
735
East Renfrewshire
20
95
75
25
0
0
215
Edinburgh
450
555
510
1,020
395
135
3,065
Eilean Siar
5
45
25
25
5
0
110
Falkirk
110
460
240
95
0
0
905
Fife
505
1,130
525
250
20
10
2,435
Glasgow City
835
2,205
1,685
990
245
115
6,075
Highland
115
435
460
310
45
15
1,375
Inverclyde
20
65
25
5
0
0
115
Midlothian
100
175
130
170
100
90
770
Moray
100
475
80
15
0
0
670
North Ayrshire
130
390
140
20
5
0
690
North Lanarkshire
480
1,850
560
125
5
5
3,025
Orkney
20
80
40
5
0
0
145
Perth & Ki