Homelessness Scotland: Charity records sharp rise in demand as hundreds of families stuck in temporary housing

A homelessness support charity has recorded a sharp rise in demand for its services as it was revealed more than 6,000 families with children have been in temporary accommodation for at least a year.

Edinburgh-based homeless charity Crisis said it was now taking on around 12 to 14 new cases in its local services every week as it warned the cost-of-living crisis was continuing to put pressure on families.

And the organisation confirmed it was moving into new headquarters in Edinburgh, in a bid to better cope with rising demand for homelessness support in and around the city.

The number of households in the Scottish homelessness system (29,692) is the highest since records began. Crisis has reported a 25 per cent rise in demand for its services over the past year.

Homelessness charity Crisis has moved into a new Edinburgh HQ amid rising demand for homelessness support in and around the city. Picture: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

“Urgent action” has separately been demanded from the Scottish Government after the answer to a parliamentary question revealed a total of 6,135 households with children had been in temporary accommodation for at least a year.

This includes 4,705 families which have been housed in this manner for one to two years, and 1,010 who have been in temporary accommodation for two to three years. There are 420 households with children who have been in temporary accommodation for three years or more.

Mark Kennedy, director of the Crisis Skylight in Edinburgh, said: “We see the impact of the cost-of-living crisis every day through our frontline services. [There is] more demand from families with children and more demand from people who have never experienced problems with their housing before.

“With people struggling to afford rent, food and heating costs, we are seeing more people coming to us in need of help.”

Edinburgh had the largest rise in the number of people pushed into homelessness last year, while the capital had more than twice the national rate of households in temporary accommodation.

As of March, there were 2,755 children living in temporary accommodation in Edinburgh, alongside a further 150 children in East Lothian, 230 in Midlothian and 435 in West Lothian.

Mr Kennedy said: “Our new HQ, based in the centre of Edinburgh, is designed to better meet the needs of those we support … we will continue to push for the changes we need to ensure everyone has a safe secure place to live – but, until then, we will work all year round to help anyone who needs our support.”

Labour housing spokesperson Mark Griffin said prolonged stays in temporary accommodation risked having a “devastating impact” on youngsters.

"Spending 1,000 days in temporary accommodation waiting for a home is no start in life,” he said. “The devastating impact this will have on these young people will stay with them their whole lives. This crisis has been allowed to spiral out of control – and it is Scotland’s children who are paying the price.”

Housing minister Paul McLennan said: “Scotland has the strongest rights across the UK nations for people experiencing homelessness and, whilst it shows our legislation is working to make sure people are not roofless, temporary accommodation should be just that – temporary.

“We are doing all we can to prevent people becoming homeless and to reduce the use of temporary accommodation by making £3.5 billion available in this Parliamentary term, towards the delivery of more affordable and social homes.”