Homeless families seeking crisis help in the hundreds

Almost 600 youngsters have needed council assistance

Crisis care has been offered to almost 600 “homeless” children in Tayside and Fife in just six months.

The shocking figure comes despite significant efforts by councils to tackle the root causes of homelessness.

During the same period last year, councils across the two regions were approached by 2,670 households seeking help with homelessness.

The charity Shelter says the figures are illustrative of “Scotland’s shame”, with more than 30,000 households seeking help nationally during 2016.

Charity bosses visited Perth this month as part of a national campaign and to encourage the Scottish Government to take greater action.

Speaking in the wake of a day of action in Perth by her charity, Shelter Scotland deputy director Alison Watson said: “It is frankly a disgrace that homelessness still exists in Scotland today.

“Last year in Scotland nearly 30,000 households became homeless and more than 65,000 households approached their local authority for help with housing.”

In just six months of last year, 417 households approached Perth and Kinross Council for help with homelessness and 54 children were living in temporary accommodation.

Within Dundee, there were 648 applications from families and 140 children in temporary accommodation, while in Angus there were 358 families seeking help and 22 youngsters in the council’s care.

The numbers were greater in Fife, with 1,247 applications for help and 354 children in temporary homes. A further 519 families and 217 children sought assistance in Aberdeenshire.

A spokeswoman for Perth and Kinross Council said: “The council takes a very proactive approach to homelessness and focuses on intervening early to support people.”

She said the council ran a housing options service used by more than 2,000 people a year.

The council also ran a support service rated as ‘excellent’ by the Care Inspectorate, she added.

She said: “At the moment we have the lowest ever number of homeless people in temporary accommodation.”

She added the Home First initiative is helping people who experience homelessness to move straight into secure and sustainable accommodation.