Charity call for 7-day limit on B&Bs and hostels for homeless

A HOMELESSNESS charity want a legal seven-day limit placed on the use of unsuitable temporary homeless accommodation, such as B&Bs.

Crisis surveyed 74 homeless people in B&Bs, unsupported hostels or hotels in Edinburgh, East Lothian, Glasgow, Highland, Midlothian and Aberdeenshire.

They found 60 per cent were subject to curfews and threequarters were not allowed visits from family or friends.

More than four in five (84 per cent) said they felt isolated and 88 per cent felt depressed due to their living situation.

Just under half (45 per cent) had no access to a kitchen, causing more than half to regularly skip meals. They also found that 34 per cent had no access to a fridge.

Crisis want the Scottish Government to commit to changing the law within a year to bring in a seven-day limit for the use of unsuitable temporary accommodation.

It is already in place for families and pregnant women.

Ministers have accepted the recommendation in principle but there has been no indication of when it might happen.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “We are investing £6.5million to support a Housing First approach, which focuses on getting a person into settled accommodation first so they can then access support from the security of their own home.”