MORE than 10,000 homeless Scots stay in hostels, B&Bs and other forms temporary accommodation every night, it is claimed.
Research carried out by Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt University found the number of people placed in hostels has risen by 43% since 2010.
The overall figure masks wide disparities at local level. In Edinburgh, the jump between 2010-17 is almost 90%, compared with 60% in Shetland and 40% in East Renfrewshire.
Meanwhile, the report says the duration of these stays is increasing and “unhelpfully high” rents are holding back progress.
The findings conclude work commissioned by social enterprise Social Bite for the Scottish Government’s Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group (HARSAG), formed to find solutions to the country’s most acute housing problems.
Co-author Dr Beth Watts said: “Transforming temporary accommodation in Scotland requires a suite of measures that reduce the number of people who need temporary accommodation by preventing homelessness, increase the flow of people through temporary accommodation by ensuring they have access to the right support and appropriate move-on options, and focus on increasing the quality and suitability of the temporary accommodation that is used.
“This is a much bigger challenge in some areas than others given housing market pressures and the numbers in housing need.
“National leadership needs to be combined with a flexible approach that is responsive to local challenges.”
Social Bite co-founder Josh LittleJohn, a HARSAG member, said: “We must transform the temporary accommodation system where many of our most vulnerable people are forced to live.
“When someone lives in the ‘homelessness system’ of hostels and B&Bs for a significant period of time, they become increasing marginalised, stigmatised and mental health challenges can worsen.”
Responding to the report, Housing and Local Government Minister Kevin Stewart said its contents would “play a vital role in helping us meet our pledge to transform temporary accommodation and end homelessness, backed by our £50 million Ending Homelessness Together Fund.”
The Aberdeen Central MSP went on: “I am also committed to ensuring that we keep engaging with people who have direct experience of homelessness, front line workers and service providers to take these recommendations forward in partnership with local government.”
Meanwhile, Crisis homelessness charity chief executive Jon Sparkes, who chairs HARSAG, said: “Temporary accommodation is not a housing solution, it is an emergency measure which should only be used while permanent housing is sought. When it is used, there should be the necessary support available for each person, the quality should be of at least a minimum enforceable standard and where basic provisions are not met then people should not have to stay for more than seven days.
“Robust evidence is crucial to making the case for change and without doubt the depth of knowledge provided by this study was integral in the Scottish Government accepting all of the action group recommendations in principle.”
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