DAVID CAMPBELL

The number of children in Renfrewshire living in temporary accommodation increased by nearly 30 per cent during the pandemic.

New Scottish Government homelessness statistics show there were 70 young people living in short- term lets in the region in September 2020, compared with 55 the previous year.

There has also been an overall increase in the number of households in Renfrewshire staying in temporary accommodation.

In September 2019, there were 197 households living in shorter term situations. However, in September 2020, there were 218 - a hike of 15 per cent.

Campaigners are calling for more to be done to move families in to settled and permanent homes quicker.

Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said: “At the start of the pandemic, our priority was supporting people off the streets and ensuring they had safe, self- contained accommodation.

“There is no doubt that extraordinary action by national and local government, as well as homelessness services, saved lives from both coronavirus and the cold, but these interventions are short-term solutions.

“We’ve seen huge progress in ending rough sleeping in Scotland.

“This has led to record numbers of people living in temporary accommodation, with many people being left without access to proper laundry or cooking facilities.

“We now need to see action to ensure these people are supported quickly into safe and settled homes.”

Across Scotland, the reports show that, as of September last year, 14,151 households were in temporary accommodation – a 24 per cent increase in the space of a year.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart insists tackling homelessness remains a Scottish Government priority.

He said: “Temporary accommodation can offer an important safety net, but it should be a short-term measure.

“We do not want to see anyone in temporary accommodation for longer than is absolutely necessary.

“We are now providing £30million to local authorities and working hard to move people into a settled home.

“This is the first set of official homelessness statistics for which coronavirus restrictions were in place for the full reporting period, and the trends can largely be explained by the Scottish Government’s range of actions to keep people safe in the pandemic, such as the introduction of stay at home guidance and our extension of eviction notice periods.

“We remain committed to ending rough sleeping and homelessness and our action plan lays out how we will get there.

“The provision of homes is an important part of that and I am proud we have led the way on affordable housing, having delivered almost 100,000 since 2007, more than 68,000 of which were for social rent.”

A Renfrewshire Council spokesman said: “Throughout the Covid-19 response, we have continued to offer a range of services to help those in housing need, including a 24/7 helpline offering advice and assistance to anyone who has nowhere to stay.

“In 2020, in line with the national picture, there was an increase in homelessness in Renfrewshire, including a relatively small increase in the number of homeless families with children.

“The scale of recorded homelessness has fallen steadily since October, with many people being supported to move on to settled accommodation in recent months and the number of children staying in temporary accommodation now lower than prior to the pandemic.

“If anyone finds themselves with nowhere to stay, we can be contacted on 0141 618 7200 during office hours, or 0800 121 4466 at any other time.”

There are currently 41 children staying in temporary accommodation, which in Renfrewshire takes the form of furnished flats in the community.

We are providing £30m to local authorities