Question reference: S5W-09055
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Date lodged: 27 April 2017 Registered interest
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Current status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 9 May 2017
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how local authorities manage homeless applications from people who are from outside their area.
Answer
Homelessness legislation sets out the steps local authorities must take in investigating homelessness and this includes the ‘local connection’ test. The local authority has a power, but not a duty, to refer an applicant to another local authority if it thinks the applicant does not have a local connection with it and does have a local connection with another authority.
Legislation is supported by the statutory Code of Guidance on Homelessness, to which local authorities must refer when making decisions. This includes stating that in exercising its discretion to use its power on local connection, a local authority should take particular care to operate in a non-discriminatory way.
The HL1 statistics collected by local authorities and published by the Scottish Government, also provides more detailed information on homelessness applications.