The Highland Council’s performance for homeless households has improved significantly over the past four years, while the national average has continued to rise over the same period. This sustained focus on improvement was acknowledged by the Scottish Housing Regulator at an engagement meeting in early 2026.
Housing and Property Committee Chair, Cllr Glynis Campbell Sinclair said: “The reasons and causes of homelessness are often complex and involve a variety of circumstances. Whilst Highland Council focuses on homeless prevention some of the reasons and by the nature of those are difficult to prevent.
“The Council’s housing team continues to work closely with agencies such as NHS, Adult Services, addiction services and mental health services and aim to provide sustainable settled rehousing outcomes for applicants, and multi-agency working is imperative to achieving this.
“I’d like to commend the Council’s Housing Officers and the wider team for the level of professionalism, dedication and compassion they provide to continue to resolve homelessness across Highland.”
- Between 31 March 2025 and 31 March 2026, 61 temporary tenancies were converted to secure tenancies.
- In 2024/25, households with children spent an average of 16 weeks in temporary accommodation, compared to the national average of around 34 weeks.
- As of 31 March 2026, 67 households with children were in temporary accommodation in Highland, down from 70 on 31 March 2025.
- The average time to resolve a homeless case in Highland is just over 32 weeks, which compares favourably to the national average of 40 weeks.
All temporary accommodation is community-based and furnished, with households resettled into permanent homes as quickly as possible.
Meeting the diverse needs of homeless households has become increasingly complex. This reflects a range of challenges, including rising demand from individuals, the need to access specialist health and addiction services, households with specific needs and complex family and lifestyle dynamics.
Anyone aged 16 or over can apply for housing, but we give priority to people who:
- are homeless or at risk of homelessness (external link)
- live in overcrowded or unsuitable housing
- have a medical or support need