Rise in deaths of homeless

An estimated 250 homeless people died in Scotland last year, figures show.

Although down slightly from 2020, when there were an estimated 256 such deaths, the total for 2021 is 52% higher than the first time the figures were produced in 2017.

Then, there were estimated to be 164 deaths among Scotland’s homeless population, with the overall number including people in temporary accommodation as well as those sleeping rough.

Housing Secretary Shona Robison described the figures, produced by National Records of Scotland (NRS), as “heartbreaking reading”.

The NRS report revealed: “There were an estimated 250 homeless deaths in Scotland in 2021.

“This is at a similar level to 2020.

“Homeless deaths were at a higher level now compared to 2017, when these statistics were first collected.”

According to the experimental statistics, just over half of deaths among those who were homeless were due to drug misuse – with this being the cause of 127 deaths, representing 51% of the total.

Suicide accounted for 9% of deaths, while 7% were related to alcohol, according to NRS.

There were also two recorded deaths of people experiencing homelessness where Covid-19 was the underlying cause of death in 2021.

The vast majority (81%) of homeless deaths were males, while three-fifths (60%) of those who died were under 45 years of age.

In the report, NRS explained that as homeless deaths “are difficult to count”, the method it used “tries to account for and estimate how many we might have missed”.

Of the 250 deaths that occurred last year, 222 were identified from death registration records, with an additional 28 deaths estimated using statistical modelling.

Experimental statistics are still in the testing phase and are “not yet fully developed”, NRS report added.

Matt Downie, the chief executive of the charity Crisis, said: “No one should accept these figures as normal. Every single one of these deaths represents an injustice.”

Ms Robison stated: “We are introducing new homelessness prevention duties in the forthcoming housing bill.”