Record number of homeless families living in temporary accommodation in Scotland

The number of homeless families living in temporary accommodation in Scotland is at a record high amid a “deepening” housing emergency.

The Scottish Government revealed its statistics for 2024-25, with record numbers of rough sleepers and homeless households being given interim shelter.

The number of families in temporary accommodation increased by 6% compared to March 2024, reaching the highest in the series at 17,240 on March 31.

The average time spent in temporary accommodation for cases that closed in 2024-25 was 238 days.

This is ten days higher than 2023-24 and compares to 305 days, on average, for cases that are still open.

That figure is 4% higher than September 30, 2024.

The number of children in temporary accommodation increased by 1% between March 2024 and 2025, reaching 10,180.

However, this was a 2% decrease compared to 10,360 in September 2024.

82% of households assessed as unintentionally homeless secured settled accommodation in 2024-25, similar to 83% in 2023-24.

The time it takes to close a homelessness case following assessment, and where the household has been assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness, has increased from 278 to 280 days between 2023-24 and 2024-25.

There were 34,067 households assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness, an increase of 112 compared to 2023-24, and the highest since 2011-12.

The number of households reporting rough sleeping the night before application increased from 1,932 to 2,465 and in the three months prior from 3,058 to 3,579 between 2023-24 and 2024-25.

A decrease in homelessness applications was seen for the first time in four years, with a total of 40,688 applications, 366, which was 1% less than 2023-24.

There were 31,695 live applications as of March 31, 2025, 1% higher than March 2024, but 2% lower than the 32,272 at September 30, 2024.

In light of record homelessness figures, the Scottish Parliament declared a national housing emergency last year, promising action.

Aoife Deery, the housing spokeswoman at Citizens Advice Scotland, said the figures demonstrated the “deepening nature of the national housing emergency”.

She said: “Demand for housing advice from our advisers in bureaux across Scotland is also growing, which highlights the value of advice as people face unimaginable uncertainty about their homes.

“Last year, the Scottish CAB network gave housing advice more than 62,000 times, an increase of 7% on the year before, with a particular surge in demand for advice on homelessness.

“We need the Scottish Government to immediately implement its housing emergency action plan, published earlier this month.”

It comes after Scotland’s housing secretary pledged almost £5bn of cash over the next five years to build around 36,000 affordable homes.

Setting out an emergency action plan, Mairi McAllan told MSPs that housing supply was under “unprecedented strain”.

To help with this, she promised the Scottish Government will invest £4.9bn over the coming four years, adding this could provide “up to 24,000 children with a warm, safe home”.

McAllan said: “These figures demonstrate the scale of the challenge we face in reducing homelessness and ensuring that temporary accommodation, although a vital safety net, is just that – temporary. We must work to prevent homelessness before it occurs, deliver more affordable homes and make better use of the stock we have.

“That is why, earlier this month, I set out a number of direct and immediate measures to tackle the housing emergency – ending children living in unsuitable accommodation, supporting vulnerable communities and creating the optimum conditions for confidence and growth in our housing sector.

“We know that more affordable housing is key to tackling homelessness and, despite the challenges of Brexit, austerity and the cost of living, the Scottish Government has a strong track record in delivering this.

“My Housing Emergency Action Plan will go further and commits up to £4.9bn over the next four years to deliver around 36,000 affordable homes as part of a major, affordable housebuilding programme. This will provide family homes for up to 24,000 children.

“We have also doubled our acquisitions funding this year to £80 million, which will allow Councils to act now to acquire family-sized homes where they are needed. We are also expanding Housing First, which supports those with multiple and complex needs who may be more at risk of rough sleeping, and subject to Parliamentary approval, will pass groundbreaking new anti-homelessness laws in the form of ‘ask and act’ duties on public bodies.

“These are part of a suite of actions announced earlier this month which I am pleased have been broadly welcomed by charities, social landlords and housebuilders alike.

“I recognise the significant pressure on homelessness services, particularly in Glasgow, and I continue to meet with the city council to discuss the situation there. Ultimately, the UK cost of living crisis and the UK Government’s mismanagement of the asylum system are creating serious pressures for local authorities, especially Glasgow.

“We must urgently see more financial assistance from the UK Government to enable local authorities to provide safety and sanctuary for those arriving and ensure appropriate integration into communities. I will write to the new Secretary of State to make clear that this must be a priority.”