Estimated number of homeless deaths more than doubles in North Lanarkshire

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The estimated number of homeless deaths in North Lanarkshire more than doubled last year.

New figures show an estimated 23 people died while sleeping rough or living in temporary accommodation in the region in 2023.

Twenty homeless people died but National Records of Scotland estimate that the figure could be as high as 23.

This was more than double the number of deaths in 2022 - nine actual deaths and 10 estimated deaths.

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The estimated death rate (per million population aged 15-74) in North Lanarkshire was 88.8 compared to 39.3 the previous year.

The number of deaths in South Lanarkshire (10) stayed the same with the estimated number (12) only increasing slightly on the previous year from an estimated 11 deaths. This increased the estimated death rate from 45.8 to 46.4 in 2023.

An estimated 242 people died while homeless in Scotland in 2023, similar to the number of 244 in 2022.

Shetland Islands, Na h-Eileanan Siar, City of Edinburgh, Glasgow City and West Dunbartonshire had the highest rates of homeless deaths per million population (aged 15-74) in 2023.

The number 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.

Seventy-nine per cent of those who died while homeless were male, and 21 per cent were female.

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.

Fifty-six per cent of homeless deaths were classed as "external causes" which includes most drug misuse deaths, accidents, suicide, and assault. In comparison, six per cent of all deaths in 2023 were due to external causes.

These figures include people in temporary accommodation such as flats, houses, hotels and B&Bs as well as those who were experiencing street homelessness at the time of their death.

Beth Watson, senior assistant statistician at National Records of Scotland, 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."

Shelter Scotland director, Alison Watson, said the figures show the "grim reality" of Scotland's housing emergency.

She 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.”

The Salvation Army is renewing calls for all local 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. 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."

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