Government action needed to end the scourge of homelessness
The First Minister must announce measures to tackle homelessness in her programme for government speech next week, Scottish Greens Housing Spokesperson Andy Wightman MSP has said.
Mr Wightman made the call as figures were published showing the number of households recorded as homeless in 2019/20 rose 4% to 31,333. The National Statistics publication also revealed that 11,665 households were in temporary accommodation at 31st March this year, just as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the country. The research also shows that households spent an average of 184 days in temporary accommodation, while the delay for households with children was even higher.
Andy Wightman MSP said:
“Today’s statistics reveal the shocking rise in homelessness in Scotland last year, with over 31,000 households assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness. That’s up by more than 1,000 compared with the previous year.
“The research also show that nearly 12,000 households, including 7,280 children, were in temporary accommodation at the end of March as the coronavirus pandemic gripped the country. These households spent an average of six months in temporary accommodation, the wait for families with children was longer.
“These figures are totally unacceptable and while I welcome some of the temporary measures the Scottish Government has taken to find people accommodation during the pandemic, it’s vital that longer term measures are introduced urgently so we can end the scourge of homelessness in Scotland once and for all.
“We will face a tidal wave of evictions in the coming months, adding to the homelessness crisis, unless the Scottish Government takes urgent action to prevent them as the initial emergency six month pause on evictions comes to an end.
“Over the last few months I’ve proposed a rent freeze and a ban on evictions based on debt accrued because of the current crisis. Unfortunately, the Scottish Government has been unwilling to take any action to support tenants in the private rented sector, instead establishing a support fund for landlords.
“There is still time to act, so I urge the First Minister to use her Programme for Government speech next week to announce urgent measures to tackle the homelessness crisis and protect tenants who face being in next year’s homelessness statistics if nothing is done.”