asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many people in the United Kingdom were recorded as being unintentionally homeless in 1995, 2000 and 2005. [HL950]
Information about English local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected by the Department for Communities and Local Government in respect of households (rather than people) at local authority level and on a quarterly basis. The department does not hold statistics for the devolved Administrations.
Households that are accepted by English local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need are owed a main homelessness duty by the local authority. Figures for 1995, 2000 and 2005 are provided for England in the table below.
The duty owed to a household accepted as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need is to secure suitable accommodation. If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority may secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available.
Applicant households found to be unintentionally homeless and in priority need (i.e. accepted as owed a main homelessness duty)- England 1995 117,490 2000 111,340 2005 (P) 100,170 Note- (P) Provisional data
Other applicant households are found by the local authority to be homeless (some of which may be unintentionally so) but not in priority need, in which case a main homelessness duty is not owed. These are not included in the table.