Homelessness at a worrying level
should “start alarm bells ringing in Holyrood that homelessness in Scotland is getting worse, not better”.
He added: “This is clear evidence that the good progress we have seen in recent years is now being reversed and bad housing and homelessness is blighting the lives of even more people in Scotland – robbing them of their health, security and a fair chance in life.
“We welcome the focus on homelessness in the last year from the Scottish Government.
“But it is now time for urgent action from all areas of local and national government to work together better to tackle and prevent homelessness in Scotland. We need urgent action and resources now to start making a difference.”
The number of applications in 2017/18 has increased in 17 out of 32 local authorities in Scotland in the latest year. There were 34,972 homelessness applications recorded in Scotland, 402 higher than the number of applications received in the same period in 2016/17.
Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Everyone deserves a safe and warm place to call home which is why we are committed to ending homelessness and rough sleeping for good.
“While the long-term trend shows a decrease in the number of homeless applications – a reduction of 39 per cent between 2008-9 and 2017-18 – these figures are a reminder of why preventing homelessness and transforming temporary accommodation will remain a key priority for government.
“We want time spent in unsuitable temporary accommodation to be as short as possible, especially for households with children or where there is a pregnancy.”