HOMELESSNESS in Scotland is the highest since records began, according to the latest figures.

Data released by the Scottish government show a staggering 30,724 households had live homelessness applications as of September 30 2023, a 10 per cent increase on the same period a year earlier.

The numbers of children homeless and living in temporary accomodation grew by 8 per cent over the same period to 9,860.

The new figures also support anecdotal evidence that rough sleeping is rising, as the number of people applying for homelessness assistance who had slept rough in the past three months grew by 20 per cent to 1,408, and the numbers having done it the night before leaping by 23 per cent to 888.

Matt Downie, of homeless charity Crisis, called the steep rise in rough sleeping “deeply worrying” and urged the SNP-Green Scottish government’s new housing Bill to address the issue. 

SNP housing minister Paul McLennan described the figures as “sobering.”

He said: “Scotland continues to have the strongest rights anywhere in the UK for anyone who becomes homeless, but we are determined to ensure no-one need become homeless in the first place and ensure people can stay in their homes.”