Number of Scots living in temporary accommodation at record level

A record number of Scots are living in temporary accommodation after the number of households classed as homeless increased by 10% last year.

Scottish Government figures showed almost 10,000 children were living in temporary accommodation in 2022-23 – with housing minister Paul McLennan describing the statistics as “deeply worrying”.

He spoke after official data showed 15,039 households – including 9,595 children –  in Scotland were in temporary accommodation in 2022-23 – a rise of 6% on the previous year.

This temporary accommodation can include council or housing association properties, but can also include hostels, hotels and bed and breakfasts.

Between March 2020 and March 2023, Scotland has seen a 27% increase in the number of households in temporary accommodation, and a 30% increase in the number of children in temporary accommodation, the report noted.

The rise in those in temporary accommodation comes at the same time as the number of households assessed as being homeless jumped 10%, going from 29,339 in 2021-22 to 32,242 in 2022-23.

With councils receiving 39,006 homeless applications last year, the report said that the numbers of applying for, and being assessed as, homeless were now both higher than they were pre-pandemic.

The number of homeless applications received was the highest since 2012-13, with the number assessed as being homeless the largest since 2011-12, the figures showed.

Glasgow remains the local authority with the largest number of homeless households, with 5,339 households assessed as being homeless in 2022-23 – although, unlike most council areas, the number had fallen in the last year with a decrease of 7%.

Edinburgh City Council, meanwhile, had 3,261 homeless households, with the council seeing a 28% increase compared to 2021-22.

“This follows a particularly low number of homeless households in Edinburgh over 2021-22 and 2020-21,” the report noted.

There were  275 homeless applications made by households which had fled to Scotland from Ukraine, with these amounting to less than 1% of all such applications for 2022-23.

Mr McLennan described the figures as being “deeply worrying” adding that they showed “Scotland is facing the same trend as the rest of the UK where there is a clear impact on households of the current cost of living crisis and the continuing fall out from the pandemic on homelessness”.

He insisted: “Tackling homelessness is a key priority and it is critical that local government and other partners work with us to reach our shared goal of reversing these figures and delivering on our long-term strategy for tackling homelessness.”

Mr McLennan continued: “I am very disappointed by the high number of people, including many children, who were living in temporary accommodation in March 2023.

“Scotland has the strongest rights across the UK nations for people experiencing homelessness and – whilst it shows our legislation is working to make sure people are not roofless and provided with a home – temporary accommodation should be just that, temporary.”

He said he had been meeting with local housing conveners in those areas under the greatest pressure to discuss what action could be taken.

The minister continued: “As well as local authorities and social landlords, we are working with key partners, including: the Convention Of Scottish Local Authorities; the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers; the Scottish Housing Regulator and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, to consider what we need to do differently to reduce the use of temporary accommodation.”

He added  the Scottish Government was “investing heavily to increase housing supply”, saying the number of affordable homes built in 2022-23 was the highest for more than two decades.

But Sally Thomas, the CEO of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, said the Government was not on track to meet its target of building 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 as she insisted “urgent, significant action is needed.

Ms Thomas said: “We are working with Scottish Government to try to find ways of getting people into permanent accommodation more quickly, however, fundamentally, this is a problem of supply.”

And Matt Downie, chief executive of the charity Crisis, said Scotland was at a “critical moment”.

He stated: “Homelessness ruins people’s lives. But, as these figures show, more people are now sleeping on the streets and more children are growing up in homelessness.

“The number of people being made homeless is at its highest since 2012. This was already an emergency, but we are now at risk of a growing catastrophe.”

Demanding action, he said: “The Scottish Government must push on with plans to prevent homelessness, so people can get help earlier and so public services help stop people being forced from their homes.

“The UK Government must urgently invest in Housing Benefit, to avert more people being pushed into homelessness.”