Homelessness

Shetland Islands Council, as a local authority, has a duty under Section 5 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 to provide accommodation to homeless people. Homelessness is something that happens all too frequently to many ordinary people all over Britain, including Shetland.

A Person is defined in current legislation as homeless or threatened with homelessness when that person is:

Without any accommodation in which they can live with their family. Or - unable to gain access to their accommodation. Or - at risk of domestic violence by living in their accommodation. Or - they may have accommodation but it is 'unreasonable'; or is overcrowded and a danger to health. Or - their only accommodation is a caravan or boat and they have nowhere to park it.

Those persons experiencing one or more the following situations, even if these situations are not covered by the legislation are also defined as being homeless:

Roofless: Those persons without shelter of any kind. This includes people who are sleeping rough, victims of fire and flood, and newly-arrived immigrants. Houseless: Those persons living in emergency and temporary accommodation provided for homeless people. Examples of such accommodation are night shelters, hostels and refuges. (Within Shetland this list also includes any self contained or shared temporary accommodation provided by the Council). Households residing in accommodation, such as bed and breakfast premises, that is unsuitable as long-stay accommodation because they have nowhere else to stay. Those persons staying in institutions only because they have nowhere else to stay.

• Insecure accommodation: Those persons in accommodation that is insecure rather than simply held on an impermanent tenancy. This group includes:

tenants or owner-occupiers likely to be evicted (whether lawfully or unlawfully). persons with no legal rights or permission to remain in accommodation,such as squatters or young people asked to leave the family home. persons with only a short-term permission to stay, such as those moving around friends’ and relatives’ houses with no stable base.

• Involuntary Sharing of Housing in Unreasonable Circumstances: Those persons who are involuntarily sharing accommodation with another household on a long-term basis in housing circumstances deemed to be unreasonable.

Over the 3 year period from April 2005 to March 2008, there were, on average, 221 households in Shetland who lost their accommodation each year. This is an increase of 25 persons from the average over the period 2004-2007.

Options for people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness