Ariane Burgess, the Scottish Green MSP for the Highlands & Islands Region has highlighted a concerning rise in the number of homeless children in the Highlands over the last 10 years.
According to housing charity Crisis, since 2014, the number of children in temporary accommodation for the homeless in the Highland Council area has increased by 75%, from 135 in 2014 to 235 this year.
Commenting on the data today, Ms Burgess said:
“It’s deeply concerning that so many children are dealing with the uncertainty and disruption of homelessness.
“These stark figures reflect the direct impact of more than a decade of cruel Tory austerity policies, which Labour seem determined to stick to, that are storing up problems for the future and failing our most vulnerable citizens.
“Some local authorities have bucked this trend.
“Moray, Shetland and the Western Isles have all seen falls in the number of homeless children in their care, while in Argyll & Bute the picture has remained stubbornly static.
“We need to share best practice, look at all options to provide stable homes and invest in the next generation.
“It’s crucial that councils and the Government work together to do all they can to address the housing emergency through expanding retrofit and re-use programmes for existing empty properties.
“These can become homes faster and more affordably than new builds.
“In fact, it’s possible to deliver three renovated and retrofitted homes for the price of one new build if there’s the political will to take on this challenge directly.
“There is no time to waste, the hundreds of homeless children across my region can’t endure another Christmas with no home.”
