Fewer than 20% of Scottish landlords’ allocation policies refer to autism

The report concluded that the allocation policies “do not give a great amount of consideration to autistic children and their families”.

The research looked at the social housing allocation policies of Scotland’s social landlords and councils to understand how they are responding to the needs of autistic children.

It found a “significant gap” between the understanding of autism as represented in governmental strategy and how the housing needs of autistic people, particularly children and young people, are actually being identified and met in policy and practice. 

In contrast to the allocation policies, 22 of the 32 (or 69%) local housing strategy documents reviewed featured the words ‘autism’ or ‘autistic’. 

Four of these strategies also featured the words ‘neurodiversity’ or ‘neurodivergent’.

The report was commissioned by the charity, which helps disabled people, older adults and members of the Armed Forces community to find suitable housing, following a steep increase in calls from clients saying that their requests for appropriate spaces were not being considered.

According to the latest pupil census, 5.24% of children attending school in Scotland are autistic. 

These children and their families have specific housing needs. Housing Options Scotland said that finding the right home to meet their needs can be challenging, “particularly during a housing crisis when social landlords and local authorities are under extreme pressure”.

The charity is calling for strategy to be translated into policy and practice and for more to be done to understand autism.

As well as greater understanding, it said there is scope for more discretion for social landlords to allocate homes according to need.

Moira Bayne, chief executive at Housing Options Scotland, said: “We absolutely recognise the extraordinary pressures that social landlords and local authorities are under during the housing crisis.

“Often the rationale is that housing a family in any house is better than not at all. The fallout from not getting it right can however come at a far greater cost.”