STV NewsHomelessness services are on their knees, unable to cope with demand.
B&Bs, hotels and hostels are full of people waiting to move on to more suitable accommodation.
The latest figures on homelessness make for grim reading for First Minister John Swinney. They cover the period during which he declared a national housing emergency.
The Scottish Government have made it their mission to eradicate child poverty. But with record numbers of children homeless and living in temporary accommodation, it’s hard to see how they’re going to reach that aspiration.
The acknowledgment of a national housing crisis came after multiple local authorities had already declared themselves in a state of emergency. Put frankly, there aren’t enough homes for the thousands of people who need them.
The Scottish Government lays the blame at Westminster’s doorstep, claiming then-prime minister Rishi Sunak’s budget cuts and the cost of living crisis exacerbated the problem in Scotland.
However, the uncomfortable truth underpinning the foundations of Scotland’s homelessness record is that the Scottish Government is failing to meet vital targets it has set to build new homes.
Many people who have shared their stories of homelessness, mouldy living conditions and astronomical rent rises have all told me they are on a waiting list for a new home.
There’s been a collapse in housebuilding across Scotland and industry leaders are worried. Factors outside the Scottish Government’s control, like interest rates and ongoing conflicts in Europe and the Middle East, haven’t helped the situation.
But cutting the budget for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme by almost £200m in 2023 undermined the Scottish Government’s commitment to the housing sector.
Construction of ready to move into homes fell by 10% in 2024 compared with 2023, which were already down on the previous year. Just 14,768 homes were under construction, down by 12%.
Of those, social homes, which are crucial to helping those on the frontline of homelessness, saw the lowest number of completions since 2017. The numbers of homes where building has started is at the joint lowest level over the past 20 years.
And yet the Scottish Government is sticking firmly to its target of delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.
Despite pledging £600m last year towards affordable housing – reversing the previous cut – and £40m to bring existing homes into the market, opposition leaders and charities have stated it’s not nearly enough.
The Housing Bill Scotland is making its way through parliament. Most recently, rent controls and caps are being considered.
It’s a tough market for renters and landlords. The cost of daily life has risen dramatically since Covid.
Renters often spend more than half of their income on rent, making it difficult to save for a deposit for their own home.
Landlords are also facing challenging circumstances. Many have seen their mortgages spike because of recent interest rate hikes and Scottish Government legislation preventing rent increases beyond 12%.
That protection is due to come to an end on April 1, allowing them to set their own rates for the first time in three years.
Campaigners have expressed concerns that this could see more people unable to afford their rent and facing no other option but to sofa surf, essentially making them homeless.
Furthermore, STV’s previous reporting has revealed that some people have been told it will be as long as a decade before they’d get to the top of the queue for a social home.
But if thousands are forced to wait, stuck in the system, the country’s crisis will continue to deepen.
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