The number of children languishing in emergency accommodation for the homeless has soared over tenfold in parts of Scotland in the past ten years prompting pre-Budget demands to end the cuts that are deepening the housing and homelessness emergency.

It comes as housing charity Crisis in a letter jointly scripted with all four opposition homelessness spokespeople called on the Scottish Government to urgently use Wednesday's Budget to fund action to prevent homelessness.

The Herald can reveal that the number of children in makeshift homes has hit over 10,000 for the first time in March, this year - but that is over 6000 more than in 2014.

New analysis of official data seen by the Herald shows that the 10,110 homeless children in emergency lodgings such as hotels and B&Bs in 2024 is over four times more than there were in 2002, when there were just 2390 in temporary accommodation.

But there are areas of Scotland where the crisis is even deeper.

In Edinburgh, one of the first local authority areas to declare a housing emergency, the number of children in homeless accommodation has soared eightfold in the past ten years from 385 to 2,955 while in Glasgow it has rocketed from 1000 to 3,060.

In East Renfrewshire the numbers of children in temporary accommodation have risen more than tenfold from 10 to 125 over the ten years. It has almost trebled in West Lothian where the numbers have gone from 150 to 440, while in Falkirk, it has shot up from 85 to 265, in Fife it has gone from 275 to 460, in South Lanarkshire from 340 to 570, in Dundee it has soared from 105 to 260 while in Aberdeen it has risen from 85 to 175.

Despite concerns over how the homelessness scandal is being managed, the hit on children across Scotland has risen by 5% since March 2023, when 9,595 homeless children were living in transitory accommodation.

How the number of children in makeshift accommodation for the homeless has shifted from region to region over the past ten years.

Six years ago the Scottish Government launched an action plan to build affordable homes which was meant to curb homelessness and cut the use of temporary accommodation and rapidly rehouse people.

By declaring the housing emergency in May, the Scottish government was said to be formally recognising the housing problem.

But the Scottish Government's affordable homes budget has taken a cumulative hit of over £280m over the past three years without taking inflation into account - based against the 2021/22 allocation of £779.776m - despite a pledge by then outgoing First Minister Humza Yousaf of a £80m uplift for affordable housing over the next two years.

An array of campaigners are demanding that the Scottish Government act to ensure that funding A seven-point charter for change to help end Scotland's housing emergency launched in July, included a call to cut in the number of children living in temporary accommodation and a significant increase in the building of affordable homes.

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Thirteen of Scotland's 32 councils have declared housing emergencies since Argyll and Bute Council became the first in June, 2023. The latest to make the pronouncement was East Lothian Council three weeks ago, saying its allocation for preparing its Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) for 2025-2030 as £37m, averaging just over £7m per year – in comparison to an average of £12m per year in the previous five years.

And the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA)  said it was likely that more will follow as demand continues to surge. 

Housing campaigners have been shocked by the £196.08m (26%) cut to the countrywide affordable homes budget in 2024/25 alone, without taking into account inflation, with the spending plans set at £555.862m before an extra £40m was promised by Mr Yousaf.

If the affordable homes budget had kept up with inflation since 2021/22 in 2024/25, the spending plans would have been at an estimated £985.32m.

When inflation has been taken into account, it is estimated that instead of getting £2.631bn over the three years - the affordable homes budget is at £2.058bn - a drop of £573m.

(Image: Stock)

Tenants rights organisations Living Rent said that the figures were a "shocking indictment of the housing crisis" and added that the government had the resources to stop what it called the "national disgrace" of over 450 classrooms full of children being forced to live in "insecure, temporary accommodation"

"These children are vulnerable and they and their parents need proper support in the form of a long term, permanent, affordable home. The failure to do so is a dark cloud hanging over Scotland," the group said.

The Scottish Tenants Organisation has sent a letter to the First Minister John Swinney in advance of tomorrow's (Wednesday's) Budget saying they must at the very least reverse the money cut from the budget last year to try and end the housing and homelessness emergency.

They said: "The Scottish Government has to restore the affordable housing budget in full so we can start to build social rented homes again in meaningful numbers and to retrofit and renovate empty homes to make them into dry, warm and secure homes for homeless families."

Shelter Scotland said: "MSPs and ministers must choose—will they tackle homelessness head-on or pass another budget that exacerbates it.

"Additional UK funding must fully restore the affordable housing budget, making housing the top infrastructure priority – anything less will fail to meet the scale of the emergency."

It is estimated by housing experts that to be able to meet its own targets to build 110,000 homes by 2032 to end the homelessness scandal, the Scottish Government would need to plough in at today's prices over £9bn of public money. But if the Scottish Government continues the average spend on affordable homes of the last three years, it is on target to be £4bn short of what is needed.

The Scottish Government has fallen way behind in a key target in its 2021 Programme for Government to deliver 110,000 social and affordable homes by 2032 with 70% for social rent.

There have been 19,980 affordable homes completed, that have received some sort of public money support in the first two years till March 31 this year - meaning it was at that point already 2,620 short of an 11,300 homes a year target.

As of the end of June, with seven-and-a-half years of the target to go 87,527 homes remain to be completed to meet the target, at an average of over 11,670 a year.

Aditi Jehangir, chairman of Living Rent said: "It is appalling that our councils are failing children in their care in this way. But it should not just be seen as a failure of councils. These stats highlight the ongoing underfunding of councils and social housing that has caused this.

"If the government is serious about its promises to combat child poverty and homelessness, it needs to do all it can to create more safe, secure, permanent homes. That means building social housing, encouraging more stock buy back, and doing far more to keep people in their homes.

"And it also means lowering private rents. Right now, 22% of homelessness cases are due to unaffordable rents. The Scottish government needs to introduce rent controls to bring down rents to ensure more people are able to stay in their homes."

Alison Watson.

Alison Watson, director of Shelter Scotland said: "We also need increased investment in local homelessness services, many of which are on the brink of systemic failure, and targeted funding to address the housing emergency where it’s most acute.

The government has the power to protect those who are hardest hit by our broken and biased housing system. The First Minister previously said that if we want to tackle the housing emergency, 'we have to be prepared to put our money where our mouth is'. It’s time to act decisively."

STO campaign co-ordinator Sean Clerkin said: "The Scottish Government have got to direct much more resources towards homeless people in the Scottish budget through building many more social rented homes because we are near the point of no return in this emergency."

Maeve McGoldrick, head of policy and communications for Crisis in Scotland, said: “We strongly support Scottish Government plans, contained in the housing bill to allow people at risk of homelessness to get help earlier, so they can get the help they need before they reach a point of crisis.

“But while these new prevention duties could represent a turning point in our efforts to end homelessness, to be effective they will need to be supported with the resources required to make them a success.

"While we wait for the Bill to be passed, we need action to scale up homelessness prevention work across Scotland, and for the government to pilot the new plans, to make sure they work effectively when they are rolled out across the country.”

Maureen Chalmers, COSLA's communities and wellbeing spokesman said:  "In response to the alarming rise in homelessness and the growing social housing waiting lists, thirteen councils have already declared housing emergencies.  It is highly likely that more will follow as demand continues to surge. This crisis has profound implications for child poverty, health, wellbeing and educational attainment’.

"Every child deserves a safe and decent place to call home. It is crucial that local government receives increased resources to improve outcomes for our children and young people through investment in more housing. This will help us deliver this fundamental right." 

The Scottish Government was approached for comment.