Children in temporary accommodation increases by 10% in a year

The Scottish Government has branded the number of children in temporary accommodation “unacceptable and concerning” after figures show a rise to the highest on record.

Statistics released by the Scottish Government on Tuesday showed 9,130 children were in temporary accommodation on September 30 of last year.

The figure has risen by 10% from the previous year, and is the highest since at least March 31 2019 – as far back as current records go – when the number was 6,795, a rise of 34%.

The total number of households in temporary accommodation was also the highest on record at 14,458, a rise of 1% based on the same time in 2021.

A total of 28,944 open applications were recorded on September 30, the highest since records began in 2002 and a 29% increase since 2019.

Housing Secretary Shona Robison said: “These statistics are unacceptable and concerning.

“The number of households, and particularly children, in temporary accommodation in some council areas is too high and we are firmly committed to reducing it.

“That is why we commissioned an action plan from experts in the sector to reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation and the length of time spent there and the recommendations are expected shortly.”

Between April and September of last year, there was a 6% rise in the number of homelessness applications compared to the same time in the previous year, rising from 17,992 to 19,066.

There was also a 6% rise in the number of people applying for homelessness support who said they had slept rough the previous night in the same period, rising from 692 to 733.

While the number of people who reported sleeping rough in the three months before their application rose by 7% from 1,104 to 1,184.

The Housing Secretary added: “Tackling homelessness and ending rough sleeping is our priority, and we are providing a total of £100m from our Ending Homelessness Together Fund to transform the homelessness system.

“We’re also providing local authorities with £30.5 million for their work to prevent and respond to homelessness and they are making encouraging progress with the implementation of their rapid rehousing transition plans.”

The homelessness figures come as statistics published last week show a 13% drop in the number of new homes started by the housebuilding industry in the year up to the end of June 2022 – dropping to 19,060.

Scottish Tory housing spokesman Miles Briggs said the figures were “disgraceful”, tweeting: “The SNP-Green Government are presiding over a homelessness crisis across Scotland, yet they are doing precious little to try and fix it.

“Homelessness applications are soaring on their watch and are at their highest level since records began. That should be a source of shame for ministers.

“It is completely unsustainable that so many young people are spending their formative years without having a permanent place to call home.

“These stats reaffirm why @ScotTories used Parliamentary time last week to expose the SNP-Green failures when it comes to housing.

“The number of children living in temporary accommodation is particularly troubling.

“We need to see urgent action from the SNP-Green Government, otherwise we will only continue to see a sharp increase in people becoming homeless in our communities.”

Scottish Labour housing spokesman Mark Griffin said the figures were “shameful”, adding: “More and more Scots are facing homelessness and thousands of children are stranded in temporary accommodation – this is a national emergency.”

While Matt Downie, the chair of the homelessness charity Crisis, said the system in Scotland is “bursting at the seams”.

“The fact there are now nearly 10,000 children living in temporary accommodation in Scotland should shame us all,” he added.

“They are being robbed of a childhood, when their homelessness could have been prevented. This is an injustice.

“Numbers in the system are now at the highest since records began.

“It is clear we need to act now to stop more people from appearing as numbers in next year’s statistics.

“That’s why we welcome confirmation the upcoming housing Bill will include measures to strengthen homelessness prevention in Scotland.”