TRAPPED & IGNORED

SHOCK new figures showing a record number of homeless kids in Scotland have been branded a “national disgrace".

- BY PAUL HUTCHEON and CHRIS MCCALL

First Minister John Swinney has also been told to “hang his head in shame” over the 10,480 children stuck in temporary accommodation.

The stats released by the SNP government cover April to September last year and show the extent of the housing crisis.

Thousands of families are unable to find a permanent home and rough sleeping has rocketed.

There were 18,092 households and 10,480 children in temporary accommodation as of September 30 - a record.

Temporary digs include hotels and bed and breakfasts.

The stats also show the number of people who said they had slept rough the night before declaring themselves homeless is up 24 per cent year-onyear.

There were 33,006 open cases as of late last year - the highest since 2003.

Sean Clerkin, a veteran campaigner for tenants' rights, said: “These homeless statistics for Scotland are a national disgrace and those in government in London and Edinburgh should be ashamed of themselves as they have continually ignored the plight of homeless men, women and children in Scotland for years.

“The facts are clear in that we have a massive increase of households living in often squalid and unsuitable temporary accommodation including an increase to 10,480 children being condemned to decrepit temporary accommodation that will detrimentally affect their physical and mental health for years to come.”

Shelter Scotland director Alison Watson said: “Today's figures show how high levels of homelessness are increasingly accepted as the new normal.