Shelter Scotland: Remember homeless in bad weather

Published on 12/03/2013 00:01

A HOMELESSNESS charity yesterday called for more help for rough sleepers in sub-zero temperatures.

Shelter Scotland said no-one should be evicted from homeless hostels unless they have somewhere safe and warm to go.

It also urged councils to make consistent efforts to find out where people were sleeping rough and to help them find suitable accommodation.

Gordon MacRae, head of policy and communications at Shelter Scotland, said: “There are more than 35,500 homeless households – including 5,300 children – across Scotland without a home to call their own and tens of thousands living in cold, damp and often dangerous housing.

“Homelessness doesn’t discriminate – it could happen to anyone. Whatever the reason for their situation, as the winter weather kicks in and temperatures plunge, homeless people are some of the most at risk people in our society. We must make sure that those who are homeless or forced to sleep rough are not forgotten.”