UNDER-FIRE SNP Housing Minister Paul McLennan has claimed new legislation will curb Scotland’s spiralling homelessness through prevention.

Mr McLennan faced calls to resign last month after figures revealed that homeless cases had rocketed to a record 31,870 on his watch, while more than 10,000 children languish in temporary accommodation.

Visiting Edinburgh’s West Granton Housing co-op to mark World Homelessness Day, the minister placed faith in his forthcoming Housing (Scotland) Bill to stem the tide through a greater focus on early intervention.

He said: “We are determined to ensure no-one need become homeless in the first place.

“That is why, as part of the Housing (Scotland) Bill, we will introduce a package of measures to support as many people as possible to stay in their homes and communities.

“The changes are based on the principles of shared public responsibility and earlier intervention to prevent homelessness and increased choice and control over housing outcomes.”

Crisis Scotland’s Maeve McGoldrick welcomed greater emphasis on prevention as a “turning point in our efforts to tackle homelessness.”

But she warned: “To be effective they need to be supported with the resources required to make them a success.”

Chair of tenants' union Living Rent, Aditi Jehangir, said:

"Strong, effective rent controls that bring down rents would ensure that people are not continuing to be forced into homelessness.

"But the government needs to go further, it needs to introduce stronger protections against eviction and greater support to stay put.

“And of course it needs to deliver more social housing, through more funding for stock buy back and building, to ensure more people have a stable, secure, affordable place to live.”