Record number in temporary accommodation as homelessness rises in Scotland

A record number of homeless Scots are living in temporary accommodation – with official figures showing more than 10,000 children did not have a permanent home.

There were 16,330 households in temporary accommodation as of March 31 2024 – 9% more than the same  last year and the highest recorded by the Scottish Government in its data series.

This total included 10,110 children, with this up by 5% from March 2023 and also the highest recorded total in the series.

Overall, the Scottish Government’s figures showed there were 33,619 homeless households in 2023-23 – a rise of 3% from the previous year resulting in 38,075 adults and 15,474 children not having a place to call home.

Shelter Scotland director Alison Watson said: “These figures show clearly that it is children in Scotland that are paying the highest price for politicians’ failure to get a grip on the housing emergency.

“They should be a source of great national shame.”

She added: “Today is a grim reminder of the reality of Scotland’s housing emergency – more and more children losing their homes every day, getting stuck in the homelessness system, trapped in miserable temporary accommodation for ever-increasing lengths of time.”

Housing minister Paul McLennan said the latest figures were “deeply concerning”.

He said: “I know the lack of a settled home seriously affects people’s health and life chances.

“They demonstrate the scale of the challenge we face in tackling the housing emergency and I am determined to work with partners to reverse this trend.”

His comments came as the 2023-24 homeless figures showed that those placed in temporary accommodation – which can include hostels and B&Bs as well as other forms of housing – spent an average of 226 days there.

But in the Edinburgh City Council area people spent an average of 507 days in temporary accommodation, the figures showed.

And across Scotland there has been an increase in the use of B&Bs for temporary accommodation – with these accounting for 16% of all placements in March 2024, up from 12% the previous year.

The number of households with children being placed in B&Bs also increased, from 2% to 3%, with the Scottish Government report saying that “increased pressures on temporary accommodation” have led to “an increased need to use B&B type accommodation”.

It comes as the numbers seeking help with housing increased, with councils dealing with 40,685 homeless applications in 2023-24 – up 4% from the previous year.

Looking at homeless applications, cases being dealt with and households in temporary accommodation, Glasgow had the “highest numerical increases across all measures”, the report said, with the council attributing this to “an increase in applications from asylum seekers and refugees”.

Glasgow City Council saw homeless applications rise by 983 last year, the highest amount of any of the 17 local authorities who experienced a rise in these.

Meanwhile, 5% of those applying for help as homeless in Scotland last year had slept rough the night before, with 7% having had to do so in the three months prior to seeking help – up from 4% and 6%  respectively in the previous year.

This meant there were 1,916 households where at least one member had slept rough the night before making an application in 2023-24, with 2,931 households where someone had slept rough in the previous three months.

Matt Downie, chief executive of homeless charity Crisis, said: “These figures show the Scottish homelessness system is under more pressure than ever before, with the number of people experiencing homelessness now at its highest since records began.

“Councils are closing cases, but not as quickly as new applications are coming in – they’re working to end homelessness, but they’re not able to keep up with growing demand.

“Rising numbers of people sleeping on the streets, a record number of households trapped in temporary accommodation, and now more than 15,000 children growing up without knowing the safety and security of a settled home.”

He added: “The Scottish Government has made tackling child poverty its number one priority, but this can’t be achieved without stronger action on housing.”

Meanwhile Scottish Conservative housing spokesperson Miles Briggs said: “These scandalous figures should be a source of shame for SNP ministers.

The Tory added: “Most shockingly, an increasing number of children are homeless, and our young people also spend the longest time stuck in temporary accommodation which is often wholly unsuitable for living in.

“This is the effect of SNP ministers cutting almost £200 million from the housing budget at a time of an ever-growing crisis in our communities.”

Labour housing spokesperson Mark Griffin was also critical of ministers, saying: “These shameful figures are a damning indictment of the SNP’s record in government.

“No amount of SNP spin and deflection can mask the fact that they let homelessness soar and left over 10,000 kids without a permanent home.

“Instead of dealing with the housing emergency taking grip in Scotland, the SNP fanned its flames by slashing the affordable housing budget and letting housebuilding plummet.”

Meanwhile Scottish Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson Paul McGarry said:  “For yet another year, levels of homelessness have soared to new highs. It makes you wonder what on earth the SNP have been doing for the last 17 years.”

Mr McLennan however said the Scottish Government had a “strong track record in supporting the delivery of affordable homes”.

He added that the government’s Housing Bill would “also place a stronger emphasis on the prevention of homelessness, based on better coordination across systems, including relevant bodies working together to provide all-round support earlier”.

The minister stated: “This will help people avoid the crisis of homelessness and the longer term harms associated with it.”