Scotland’s housing emergency deepens

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Latest Scottish government figures reveal that in 2025-26 there were 35,002 households assessed as being homeless, made up of 39,420 adults and 14,422 children, the highest figure since 2011-12.

Among those households, as of March 31, 19,004 languished in temporary accommodation, up 10 per cent in a year, and among a record-breaking 10,715 children faced life without a permanent address, a 5 per cent rise on 2025.

The use of B&B temporary accommodation rose from 14 to 18 per cent in 2025-26, while the number of households who slept rough the night before applying for help also increased, from 2,464 to 2,949, over the same period.

Shelter Scotland’s interim director Gordon Llewellyn-MacRae said: “We know why it has happened — because we have failed to build enough social homes.”

Poverty Alliance chief executive Peter Kelly said: “It doesn’t have to be like this.

“The Scottish and UK governments can use their powers over tax and investment to create better housing budgets that will actually meet the need of people, and bring Scotland’s housing emergency to an end.”

Labour housing spokesman Mark Griffin said: “These shameful figures demand urgent action from all of us across the Scottish Parliament.

“Once again a record number of children in Scotland are stuck in temporary accommodation without the safe, secure home they deserve.”

Insisting the Scottish government was “taking decisive action to tackle homelessness,” Scotland’s Housing Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville said: “We will continue to do everything we can to tackle homelessness with the powers we have, including investing a record £4.9 billion for affordable homes over the next four years.”