Current status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 27 March 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02391 by Paul McLennan on 4 March 2025, how many children have lived in temporary accommodation in each year since 2021; what action it is taking to reduce the number of young people in these circumstances, and in light of the minister's comment regarding the Shelter Scotland report, In Their Own Words: Children’s Experiences in Temporary Accommodation, that "we will obviously consider the recommendations" of it, whether it has now considered these and, if so, what its response is to each.
The following table shows the number of children in households with a homelessness application and where there is one or more associated temporary accommodation placements in a calendar year since 2021.
Number of children on homelessness applications where there is at least one associated temporary accommodation placement in the year
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
Children | 18,042 | 19,529 | 20,618 | 18,170 |
Notes:
The Scottish Government is committed to reducing the number of households and time spent in temporary accommodation and we are taking a number of actions in line with the report’s conclusions. The best way to reduce the number of households with children in temporary accommodation is by preventing homelessness before it occurs. The homelessness prevention measures in the Housing (Scotland) Bill will make the prevention of homelessness everybody’s business and will ensure people get the help they need earlier to remain in their homes.
To minimise the harm caused to children who stay in temporary accommodation for long periods, we are supporting local authorities to increase the supply of social and affordable homes of the right type and size, including larger properties suitable for families.
We have provided funding of £80 million over this year and next, 80 per cent of which has been targeted to five local authorities with the most sustained temporary accommodation pressures.