HC Deb 31 March 1988 vol 130 cc706-7W
Mr. Hume

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what figures are available to indicate the number of homeless households in a given week in Northern Ireland.

Dr. Mawhinney

[holding answer 24 March 1988]: Information on the exact number of homeless households in Northern Ireland is not available. However, the following information gives some indication of the extent of homelessness in Northern Ireland.

At 31 December 1987 26 homeless families and 75 homeless single people were living in temporary accommodation arranged or provided by area health and social services boards and voluntary organisations.

At the same date the total number of applicants who had been awarded A1 status — that is, in need of accommodation because of homelessness or threatened homelessness or other emergency situations—under the Northern Ireland Housing Executive's housing selection scheme was 601. Few, if any, of these applicants were without shelter of some form.