Homeless people spent an average of 105 days in temporary accommodation before finally being housed in Dumfries and Galloway last year.
The figure represents a significant increase from the average of 76 days the previous year – and is the longest waiting time since 2016/17.
Meanwhile, the duration in homeless cases being resolved across the region rose from 17 weeks in 2019/20 to 27 weeks in 2020/21.
However, council housing chiefs insisted that the poor figures were down to the impact of Covid and lockdown restrictions.
They also underlined that the homelessness situation has improved in the three months that have followed the end of the 2020/21 financial year.
Councillors also acknowledged that the council has made great progress overall in recent years in improving its homeless strategy.
Lorna Campbell, the authority’s financial wellbeing and revenues manager, produced an update report for the communities committee.
In it, she said: “There was a rise in homeless presentations during 2020/21. However, this was relatively small at 13 cases.
“The most significant impact was increased time spent in temporary accommodation and increases in case durations which were a direct result of the impacts of Covid-19.
“The early restriction on house moves meant new permanent tenancies could not start which caused a delay in rehousing homeless clients.
“The backlog of cases is reducing and at the end of May, 2021, the average case duration has reduced to 17.8 weeks from 27.2 weeks and time spent in temporary accommodation has reduced to 91 days from 105 days.”
There has also been a “noticeable rise” in homelessness cases where people present with complex mental health and addiction issues.
The report stated: “This is reflected in the reason for presentation figures with a rise in people presenting due to family home/relationship breakdowns where they are not the lead tenant or owner.
“There are currently ongoing discussions with health and social care and social work to explore how best to support this group of people to either prevent homelessness or ensure the support needed is in place to move
to and sustain permanent accommodation.
“Although the pandemic has set back some of the progress being made in delivering the homeless strategy, the service has continued to develop and adapt to the changes in demand.”
Councillor Willie Scobie shared concerns about the increases in people spending time in temporary accommodation.
He said: “There are cases where people in homeless accommodation are waiting two or more years for suitable accommodation – and it’s more to the point of ‘suitable accommodation’.
“I’ve read the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan and I would like to think that we recognise that we need larger accommodation for homeless people who are needing three, four, five and maybe six-bedroom accommodation.”
Lorna Campbell said: “It does take longer than normal to house somebody with a large family and usually because it’s a new-build we are looking at and it does take time to go through the planning.
“Unfortunately, this last year we’ve had extended delays in developing some of the large properties for some of our families in need.”
Councillor John Martin, vice chairman of the committee, said: “If we consider where we were six or seven years ago, when we got an absolutely scathing report from the housing reporter, to where we are now, it’s incredible.
“The improvements we’ve made are absolutely great.”
Councillors agreed to affirm the improvement and cultural change in implementing its homeless strategy for 2018-2023, noted the impact Covid has had on the homelessness service and approved a revised Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan.
