New figures reveal 13 homeless people died in Ayrshire last year

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A total of 13 homeless people died in Ayrshire last year, according to new figures.

Statistics released by the National Records of Scotland revealed that, across the county, 13 homeless people died in 2023.

The figures are the same as the previous year and the lowest since 2018.

South Ayrshire saw a fall in the number of homeless deaths from five in 2022 to two in 2023 while the number in East Ayrshire remained the same (four).

However, the number of homeless deaths in North Ayrshire rose from four in 2022 to seven in 2023.

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.

The National Records of Scotland figures included both confirmed and estimated homeless death figures. Their estimated figures suggested there may have been a further two deaths in Ayrshire.

North Ayrshire was the only part of the county in which the rate of homeless deaths was higher than the national average.

In North Ayrshire, 8.11 homeless people per 100,000 population died in 2023 compared to the Scotland wide average of 5.83.

The rate in East Ayrshire was 5.11 per 100,000 population and in South Ayrshire it was 2.81.

Across Scotland, 210 deaths were identified as homeless persons but the National Records of Scotland estimated this could be as high as 242 - down by two from the previous year.

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.

In total, 79 per cent of those who died while homeless were male and 21 per cent were female.

The Salvation Army have called for all local councils in Scotland to record the cause of death for people housed in temporary accommodation so that better data can be collated and help improve efforts to reduce homelessness and homeless deaths.

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.

“The figures released today include the available data for people in temporary accommodation in 2023. Not all local councils collate this information and statistics for people sleeping rough are based on very limited data available to provide an estimate.

“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.”

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

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“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.”

Beth Watson, National Records for Scotland 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.”

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