In 2023/24, Scottish Borders Council accepted 667 homelessness applications, affecting 834 adults & 394 children (674 in 2022/23, 575 in 2021/22, 561 in 2020/21 – Scottish Government figures) which equates to approx 1.19% of Scottish Borders households.
This is less than the national figure (1.33%); it was 2.18% (close to the national average) in 2008, the year we were founded and Scottish Borders Council launched a new Homelessness Strategy to tackle the problem.
It is good that the problem is reducing (partly as a result of initiatives like this, which help people make a success of a new permanent tenancy) but every situation of homelessness is a serious problem for those involved.
The causes of homelessness are the same everywhere: friends or relatives can no longer provide a home for the person; relationship breakdown; action by landlords or the courts; housing debt; and personal vulnerability.