Temporary accommodation is intended to provide somewhere to stay while a homelessness application is being assessed and while longer-term housing options are being considered.

Local authorities have duties to provide temporary accommodation in certain circumstances when someone applies as homeless. (Source: https://www.gov.scot/policies/homelessness/)

The purpose of temporary accommodation is not to provide a permanent housing solution.

Its primary purpose is to prevent someone from having nowhere to stay while homelessness duties are being carried out.

This is an important distinction.

Many people enter temporary accommodation expecting it to be the final stage before permanent housing.

In practice, temporary accommodation is often one part of a wider homelessness process.

During this period, councils may be assessing housing needs, reviewing available accommodation, carrying out legal duties and considering longer-term housing options.

This can sometimes create a gap between what temporary accommodation is designed to do and what people expect it to do.

Understanding this difference can make it easier to understand why temporary accommodation exists within the homelessness system.

It is designed to provide accommodation during a process.

It is not designed to be the final outcome of that process.

This guide has been developed to support communication and engagement while navigating homelessness services in Scotland.

It provides a simple framework for communication, follow-up and engagement during periods of temporary accommodation and homelessness assessment.

Download here.