Housing Scotland: Government told to declare housing emergency as homeless people spend months in temporary accommodation

Average waits in temporary accommodation now exceed 100 days across Scotland

Homeless people in Scotland now spend in excess of 100 days stuck in temporary accommodation, new figures have revealed.

In 24 of Scotland’s 32 councils, families have been left languishing in hostels and B&Bs for more than 100 days on average, according to statistics released in response to Freedom of Information requests.

This comes after three local authorities recently declared housing emergencies.

Families are having to wait months in temporary accommodation across Scotland.

The Scottish Conservatives now say the Scottish Government should declare a national housing emergency so action can be taken to help those classed as homeless.

A Scottish Government report published in August found there were 15,039 households forced to live in temporary accommodation, including 9,595 children. This is an increase of 9 per cent since last year.

In recent weeks, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Argyll and Bute councils have all declared housing emergencies. In Edinburgh, homeless families with a child under the age of 18 waited in temporary accommodation for an average of 247 days.

In Argyll and Bute it was 201 days, and in Glasgow it was 58.

A number of other local authorities also recorded high waits in temporary accommodation for families with children, including 223 days in Dundee, 277 days in Highland, and 196 days in West Dunbartonshire.

Scotland’s three island councils also recorded long waits for families with children – 270 days in Orkney, and 254 days in both Shetland and the Western Isles. One family had to wait six months in temporary accommodation in the Scottish Borders.

In FIfe, the average wait was 276 days.

Miles Briggs MSP, the Scottish Conservatives’ housing spokesman, said ministers needed to declare a housing emergency for the whole of Scotland.

He said: “It is completely unacceptable that so many people are left languishing in temporary accommodation for so long in so many councils across Scotland. The figures for Fife Council are so horrendous – they almost defy belief for, supposedly, ‘temporary’ stays.

“These waits should be a source of embarrassment for the SNP-Green government. It is disgraceful that so many people, but especially children, across Scotland endure months in unsuitable digs.

“Too many people are suffering the consequences of the SNP’s inaction over the housing crisis.”

His comments come only a week after finance secretary Shona Robison announced the Government was cutting £166 million from the 2024/25 housing budget.

Mr Briggs added: “Their damaging rent control policy and brutal cuts to the housing budget have only made matters worse. With a record number of children trapped in temporary housing, and three councils declaring a housing emergency, it’s high time SNP and Green ministers recognised the true scale of the crisis that Scotland is facing.

“The SNP must urgently declare a national housing emergency and, more importantly, take action to ensure every vulnerable person in need of housing is provided with a safe place to stay.”

Councillor Judy Hamilton, Fife Council’s housing and building services spokeswoman, said the local authority was “committed” to tackling homelessness, but stressed this was a national crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic and cost-of-living crisis.

She said: “In Fife, temporary accommodation has more than doubled in the last three years. Most temporary accommodation is self-contained and 600 temporary homes have been converted to permanent tenancies, setting national best practice and this has impacted our figures.”

Cllr Hamilton said the number of children in temporary accommodation in Fife had halved since the peak during the pandemic to 370, but added this was “still too many”.

She said: “We have one of the biggest affordable housing programmes in Scotland which, since 2012, has delivered 7,400 new houses. Our ambitious commitment to building more affordable and council housing continues.

“Everyone deserves a comfortable, permanent place to call home. That’s why we are calling on the Scottish Government for more much-needed investment to meet the housing needs of people.”

Housing minister Paul McLennan said tackling homelessness was a “key priority” for the Government. He said ministers had been taking advice from experts in drawing up an action plan.

“Scotland has the strongest rights across the UK nations for people experiencing homelessness, and anyone threatened with or experiencing homelessness is entitled to temporary accommodation,” he said.

“Since 2020 we have provided over £1.1m of funding to support rapid rehousing welcome centres in Glasgow and Edinburgh to provide immediate access to accommodation and support.”

He said the UK Government needed to change its funding policy, and this could prevent some homeless people from accessing help.

Mr McLennan added: “Increasing housing supply is key to reducing the pressure on temporary accommodation.

“We will invest £556m in affordable homes across Scotland next year and continue to work with partners to increase the delivery of more affordable homes, the majority of which will be for social rent, including support acquisitions of existing properties.”