LABOUR DEMANDS ACTION AS ROUGH SLEEPING SOARS BY 72 PER CENT

By Bill Heaney

Scottish Labour has renewed calls for SNP Housing Minister Paul McLennan to be sacked as rough sleeping soars.

In July to September 2024, 631 people reported sleeping rough the night before making a homelessness application – an appalling 72 per cent increase on the same point in 2021.

In the same period, a shocking 939 people reported sleeping rough at some point in the three months before their application – a 58 per cent increase on the same point in 2021.

In the space of a single year, a total of 2,220 people reported sleeping rough the night before while 3,387 reported sleeping rough within the last three months.

This week a report into homelessness revealed a rise in overall homelessness in Scotland and a record number of children in temporary accommodation.

Scottish Labour said these are people dealing with the “most painful consequences” of the SNP’s housing emergency.

Labour Housing spokesperson Mark Griffin, left, said “There is a rough sleeping emergency unfolding in Scotland but the SNP has been missing in action.

“Behind every single one of these figures is a person suffering the most painful consequences of the SNP’s housing emergency.

“Far from acting to tackle the housing emergency, the SNP worsened it with cuts to affordable housing and local government.“Paul McLennan has failed as Housing Minister and he cannot stay in the job.

“John Swinney must step up and set out a real plan to deal with this scandal – starting by getting rid of Paul McLennan.”

Households experiencing rough sleeping prior to making a homelessness application, quarterly:

Applications	2021 Jul-Sep	2022 Jul-Sep	2023 Jul-Sep	2024 Jul-Sep	Change (2021-2024)
Number slept rough (night before)	366	404	539	631	72%
Number slept rough (previous 3 months)	593	634	803	939	58%

Applications	2023 Oct-Dec	2024 Jan-Mar	2024 Apr-Jun	2024 Jul-Sep	Total
Number slept rough (night before)	507	515	567	631	2,220
Number slept rough (previous 3 months)	788	814	846	939	3,387

Source: Tables+to+Homelessness+in+Scotland+update+to+30+Sep+2022.xlsx and here: Homelessness in Scotland: update to 30 September 2024 – gov.scot; Worksheet 3: Applications where at least one member of the household experienced rough sleeping the night before their application.