​Scottish Government has to do more to address rising number of kids in temporary accommodation

Campaigners have slammed a 13% rise in the number of homeless children in temporary accommodation as “unacceptable”.

New Scottish Government housing statistics published this week show the third annual rise in the number of homeless children in Scotland.

The total number of children in temporary accommodation increased by 543 to 4,876 from December 2014 to December 2016 – a rise of 13%.

Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, said the rise was “simply unacceptable in 21st Century Scotland.”

He added: “At the heart of these statistics is Scotland’s housing crisis and the thousands of families and individuals who lost their homes last year.

"Along with the 150,000 households on council waiting lists, this is further evidence of the need for a political commitment to a major house building programme to deliver 12,000 new affordable homes each year for the next five years.

This is further evidence of the need for a political commitment to a major house building programme - Graeme Brown

“Today’s statistics also show the need for a new National Homelessness Strategy for Scotland and improved access to good-quality temporary accommodation, both of which we called for in our Manifesto for Homes launched earlier this year.”

Jon Sparkes, chief executive of homelessness charity Crisis, said behind the figures are growing numbers of people with their lives on hold, many of them trapped by housing pressures and benefit cuts that make it harder for them to move into stable permanent homes.

“While recent years have seen Scotland blazing a trail in the fight against homelessness, it’s clear that temporary accommodation remains a pressure point.”

The charity is calling on the next Scottish Government to take action to ensure that unsuitable temporary accommodation is used only as a last resort.