15% rise in number of homeless children

SCOTLAND has seen a 15 per cent increase in the number of children in temporary accommodation over the last year, new figures reveal.

There has been an increase in homeless children Picture: Lisa ferguson

Overall there were 8,500 applications for homelessness assistance from April to June 2015, 7 per cent lower than in the same period in 2014. However, the number of children in temporary accommodation increased by 626, compared with 2015 figures.

Charities and housing organisations have called for an increase in affordable housing.

Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, said: “This is simply not good enough.

“These figures indicate a growing bottleneck of people stuck in temporary accommodation due to the huge lack of affordable housing, which is a major cause for concern.

“Now is the time for bold action.”