Homelessness accommodation provision and rough sleeping: February 2023

This monthly data collection was introduced during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic

It covers temporary accommodation and provision of long-term accommodation for people who present to local authorities for housing support as they are at risk of homelessness.

This data has not undergone the same level of quality assurance as official statistics and the data may be revised in future.

The figures for the latest month should be treated as provisional. Not all local authorities have been able to provide comprehensive data and this is reflected, where relevant, in the footnotes.

For the estimates of rough sleeping, we publish a breakdown by local authority. For data on use of accommodation, we are initially publishing data at the Wales-level only.

Ability to compare with statutory homelessness statistics and the rough sleeper count

It is important to note the following differences between this monthly management data collection and our existing data collections and publications on statutory homelessness:

• This monthly data relates to the number of individuals experiencing homelessness and being supported by local authorities into temporary accommodation or suitable long-term accommodation.
• Our quarterly and annual 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.

In addition, we do not recommend comparisons between the rough sleeping estimates from this monthly collection and the annual rough sleeper count (up to November 2019). In this monthly collection, local authorities are asked to base their estimates on local intelligence. The annual rough sleeper count has a different methodology: a two-week information gathering exercise, followed by a one-night snapshot count.

Main points

Comparisons over time

At this stage, it is important not to put too much emphasis on data for an individual month or comparisons with previous months. This monthly collection of management information and the guidance provided is continuing to be refined and improved.

Use of temporary accommodation

• Throughout Wales,1,509 people presenting as homeless were placed into temporary accommodation during the month, 59 fewer than in January 2023. Of these, 451 were dependent children aged under 16, 20 fewer than in January 2023. ^{[footnote 1]}  
• At 28 February 2023, 9,601 individuals were in temporary accommodation, 191 more than that at 31 January 2023. 3,001 of these were dependent children aged under 16, 152 more than that at 31 January 2023. ^{[footnote 2]}
• Between the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic and the end of February 2023, over 33,600 people who were previously homeless have been supported into emergency temporary accommodation. ^{[footnote 1]}                                          

Homeless individuals moved into suitable long-term accommodation 

• In February 2023, 650 homeless individuals were moved into suitable long-term accommodation, 121 more than in January 2023. Of the individuals moved into suitable long-term accommodation, 236 were dependent children aged under 16, 47 more than in January 2023.

Rough sleeping

• As at 28 February 2023, there were an estimated 152 individuals sleeping rough throughout Wales. This is 8 more than the 144 individuals sleeping rough at 31 January 2023. ^{[footnote 3]}
• As at 28 February 2023, Newport (49), Cardiff (24), Ceredigion (13), Bridgend (12) and Pembrokeshire (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 six local authorities reporting zero. ^{[footnote 3]}  

Footnotes

[1] One local authority did not include ‘homeless at home’.
[2] Two local authorities were unable to obtain data from women’s refuges in their local authority.
[3] Local authorities are asked to base these estimates on local intelligence, not a one-night count.