New report finds more than a quarter of Scotland’s households are in housing need

A report commissioned by housebuilder body Homes for Scotland (HFS) finds that previous estimates of housing need, calculated through the Scottish government’s Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) tool, have significantly underestimated how many households are facing housing hardship.

Including the findings of a survey of 13,690 people across Scotland, the report takes a broader definition of housing need beyond those who are homeless or living in temporary accommodation, also including those living in unfit properties, overcrowded housing and homes requiring specialist adaptations, as well as households that are concealed or struggling due to high housing costs.

Key findings include that:

• 373,000 households have at least one concealed household (95,000 are households with concealed families).
• 185,000 households are living in properties that they were struggling to afford.
• 123,000 households in the country are overcrowded.
• 85,000 households are living in properties where they do not have the specialised adaptations or support they require.
• 85,000 households are living in properties with very poor conditions.

In total, 678,000 households have at least one element of need, with 135,000 of these households having multiple elements of need, according to the new estimates. Jane Wood, the Chief Executive of HFS, writes, "we aim to provide that fuller picture of all-tenure housing needs for use by governments at all levels... and deliver an initial way forward for policymakers and sector leaders to work in tandem for the sake of Scotland’s social wellbeing and economic success."