Homelessness, January to March 2009

Statistics on Homelessness in Wales include data for the quarter January to March 2009. The latest release updates the statistics previously released on 25 March 2009.

The key points from the latest release are:

• In general the number of households accepted as homeless have fallen since the end of 2003-04. This trend has continued during the January to March quarter 2009, with 1,334 households accepted as homeless. This is a fall of 7 per cent from the previous quarter and 21 per cent from the same quarter a year earlier.
• Following a peak in mid 2005, the use of temporary accommodation has generally been falling. At the end of March 2009 there were 2,823 households in temporary accommodation which is 2 per cent lower than the end of March 2008. However the March 2009 figure is up by 5 per cent from the end of December 2008.
• By the end of March 2009, there were 261 households in Bed and Breakfast accommodation. Following a sharp decrease since mid 2004, the use of B&B accommodation increased slightly for most of 2008. However the number of households in B&B at the end of the March quarter 2009 had fallen again and was 2 per cent less than the previous quarter.
• The number of families with children in Bed and Breakfast accommodation continues to fall accounting for  7 per cent of all households in B&B accommodation by the end of March 2009. This compares with 13 per cent at the end of March 2008.

Contact

Tel: 029 2082 5055
E-mail: stats.housing@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Next update

September 2009 (provisional - to be confirmed on the Due Out Soon page)