Figures show drop in homelessness

About 282 people a month slept rough the night before applying for help

The number of people coming forward as homeless in Scotland has dropped by 5% in a year, figures have shown.

But the chief statistician said the number of households with children being sent to unsuitable accommodation such as B&Bs had almost doubled.

At the end of March, there were 118 households with children in bed and breakfast accommodation - the highest number being in Perth and Kinross.

Ministers said progress was being made towards meeting their 2012 target.

The Scottish Government has pledged that by then, all unintentionally homeless people will have the right to a home.

In 2007/08, a total of 56,609 homelessness applications were made to local authorities, down 4.9% from 2006/07.

The majority of those applying (60%) were single people, with about a quarter of applications coming from single parents - mostly women.

In these pressing and difficult economic times, it will surely only get worse Jamie McGrigor Tory communities spokesman

The main reasons were household disputes or relationship breakdown (27%) and people being asked to leave their accommodation (25%).

An average of 282 applicants a month slept rough the night before applying for help.

Just over 9,500 people were given temporary accommodation, an 11% increase on the same period last year.

But the Scottish Government said the inclusion of 542 asylum seekers previously classed as homeless "overstated" the 11% rise.

It said that adjusting the figures to take this into account gave an increase of 4.7% between 2006/07 and 2007/08.

Nearly 4,000 of the households in temporary accommodation included pregnant women or children.

The number of households with children or pregnant women in bed and breakfast accommodation varied by local authority, with 18 councils having none or only one, while four other councils had more than 10.

'Housing crisis'

There were 14 in the Highland council area, 13 in Moray and 12 in Midlothian, while Perth and Kinross had 22.

The latter area also had the most breaches of legislation which aims to ensure families are housed in accommodation which meets basic standards such as adequate cooking and washing facilities.

Councillor Peter Barrett from Perth and Kinross Council: "The pressures created by homelessness and housing need on our limited housing stock are immense.

"Whilst nationally we have seen a 4.9% decrease in the number of homeless presentations, in Perth and Kinross we have seen an increase of 19% (from 988 in 2006-07 to 1216 in 2007-08)."

He said the council expected to increase the supply of affordable housing in the next few years but, based on current projections, it would not meet the 2012 target.

The homelessness charity Shelter Scotland said the country was in the midst of a housing crisis.

Director Graeme Brown said: "More cash for affordable rented housing is vital to give people not just the right to a home under legislation, but also the keys to one."

'Increase supply'

Jamie McGrigor, the Conservative communities spokesman, voiced concern that 42% of the households in temporary accommodation included children.

"In these pressing and difficult economic times, it will surely only get worse," he said.

However, Communities Minister Stewart Maxwell said guidance was being developed on the use of temporary accommodation "to improve standards and ensure a more consistent approach".

He added: "We are also working to increase the supply of housing across all tenures to at least 35,000 annually by the middle of the next decade."

Labour's housing spokeswoman, Mary Mulligan, said: "The SNP's housing strategy does not go far enough to tackle the issue of homelessness - £25m for new council housing is a drop in the ocean."

Ross Finnie, Lib Dem housing spokesman, said: "Although I am pleased that homeless numbers are falling, I'm certain the drop would be more impressive if this government was really committed to building social housing for rent."