Existing Housing Need in Scotland

This report, commissioned by Homes for Scotland, includes the findings of a survey of 13,690 people across Scotland. It finds that an alarming number of households are not being counted in official figures as being in housing need.

Finding that estimates of housing need to date, calculated through the Scottish Government’s Housing Need and Demand Assessment (HNDA) tool, have significantly underestimated how many households are facing housing hardship, the report offers a new data tool, aiming to provide a fuller picture of all-tenure housing needs for use by governments at all levels.

Looking to provide estimates at the national level as well as at individual local authority areas (where possible), the survey has produced estimates of wider household need that can be used to inform HNDAs and policy decisions on planning for housing. This report outlines where the specific challenges lie, and in some cases, overlap. Homes for Scotland also aim for this report to deliver an initial way forward for policymakers and sector leaders to work in tandem.