Homeless deaths in West Dunbartonshire spike by more than 40 per cent in a year

Get the latest Daily Record breaking news on WhatsApp

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info

Join us on WhatsApp

Homeless deaths in West Dunbartonshire saw an increase of 40 per cent last year, according to the latest figures published by the National Records of Scotland (NRS).

Figures published by the NRS show that there were seven estimated homeless deaths within the West Dunbartonshire Council area – up from five the year prior.

In 2021, the estimated figures remained at five. However, 2020 saw the sharpest jump – with 13 estimated deaths.

Beth Watson, NRS senior assistant statistician, said: “Our estimate shows the number of deaths among people experiencing homelessness in 2023 is similar to the level in 2022. Homeless deaths are at a higher level now compared to the 164 deaths in 2017, when these statistics were first collected.

“Half of homeless deaths in 2023 were people aged under 45, with the most common age group for both female and male deaths being 35 to 44.”

According to the figures, West Dunbartonshire’s estimated death rate per million of the population in 2023 was 103.1 – up from 67.6 in 2022.

Housing charity Shelter called for more to be done to tackle Scotland’s housing crisis following the publication of the report.

Click here for more news from West Dunbartonshire.

Shelter Scotland Director, Alison Watson, said: “People should not be dying with nowhere safe and permanent to call home, but that is the grim reality of Scotland’s housing emergency.

“Earlier this year the Scottish Government declared a housing emergency but we’ve yet to see the kind of urgent, radical, response we need to end it.

“If ministers are serious about tackling Scotland’s housing emergency then they need to use the forthcoming budget to address the chronic shortage of social homes, and make sure failing local homelessness services have the resources they need to do their job.”

Meanwhile, The Salvation Army has renewed calls for all councils in Scotland to record the cause of death for people housed in temporary accommodation and gather more accurate information on people sleeping rough.

Helen Murdoch, Assistant Director of Homelessness at The Salvation Army in Scotland, said: “The number of people dying in Scotland while homeless is grimly predictable and the increase in drug-related deaths is worrying.

"I am concerned that we simply do not have sufficient detail needed to identify trends or matters calling for a quick response.

“There is no specific question on a death certificate asking if a person was homeless and the figures released today include some skilful and carefully assembled guesswork.

"Councils are well placed to add depth and accuracy to these tragic statistics as all deaths must be registered with the local authority. That is why we are calling for all local authorities in Scotland to analyse the cause of death of people who die while in temporary accommodation arranged by the council or in a Housing First tenancy.”

Ms Murdoch added: “We would like to see a similar system to London’s CHAIN in place for areas in Scotland with high instances of rough sleeping.

"It provides real time information on people sleeping on the streets through a network of people and organisations participating, allowing charities and councils to act on the figures.

"For example, the quarterly CHAIN figures in June this year showed a sharp rise of 29 per cent from April to June 2024 compared to the same period the previous year. In Scotland, there is no equivalent process for identifying a worrying spike such as this.”

Nationally, an estimated 242 people died while homeless in Scotland last year – down by two on the 2022 figure.

The number nationally who died from drug misuse deaths whilst experiencing homelessness increased from 89 to 100. Drug misuse accounted for 41 per cent of all estimated deaths while homeless last year.

Men accounted for the majority of homeless deaths, at 79 per cent, with women accounting for 21 per cent.

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.