FOI/202600519111 · FOI · not held
Information on homeless veterans: FOI release
Information requested
1. The numbers of Scottish veterans homeless in Scotland today. That to include veterans living in temporary accommodation on their own. And veterans with families.
2 What is the longest time to date anyone’s been in temporary accommodation. From the list I have asked for.
3 What is the Scottish Government’s protocol for housing veterans when they present as homeless. Should they be found a home on any list straight away as the general public would expect.
4. What are the priorities for the Scottish Government starting in first place and following on from there. For anyone presenting themselves as homeless and where do homeless veterans come on that protocol.
Response
In respect of points 1 and 2 of your request, the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have asked for because this information is not held.
The 2024-25 national homelessness statistics were published on 16 September 2025. The statistics shows that 759 out of 34,067 households assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness across Scotland had a household member that was formerly in the armed forces.
As part of our annual homelessness statistics, we publish data on veterans homelessness. Please see attached link to the most recent statistics. Homelessness in Scotland: veteran homelessness - gov.scot. This data does not contain statistics on the number of veterans in temporary accommodation or the time veterans have spent in temporary accommodation.
As such, I hereby provide you with formal notice under section 17 of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested. You may wish to contact local authorities directly to ask if they hold this information.
For points 3 and 4 of your request, the Scottish Government does not have any protocol for housing veterans when they present as homeless. Responsibility for delivering homelessness services in Scotland including decisions on temporary accommodation and housing allocation sits with local authorities. This includes any protocol or practices for those at risk of or experiencing homelessness in their area.
However, the Scottish Government provides guidance to support local authorities in fulfilling their statutory duties, including:
the Homelessness: code of guidance - This sets out how local authorities should meet their legal duties under homelessness legislation. It includes reference to people leaving the armed forces. Social Housing Allocations in Scotland: Practice Guide - This provides guidance to social landlords on allocation policies, including: consideration of applicants with a service background; and the requirement to have due regard to the Armed Forces Covenant, which recognises that veterans should not be disadvantaged in accessing public services.
In Scotland, the priority need test for homeless households was abolished in December 2012. This means all unintentionally homeless households are entitled to settled accommodation.
For further detail on how veterans are assessed in practice in a specific area, you may wish to contact the relevant local authority directly.
About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at https://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.
Contact Please quote the FOI reference Central Correspondence Unit Email: contactus@gov.scot Phone: 0300 244 4000 The Scottish Government St Andrew's House Regent Road Edinburgh EH1 3DG
Detected exemption language
As such, I hereby provide you with formal notice under section 17 of FOISA that the Scottish Government does not have some of the information you have requested.
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