Scotland has recorded its highest-ever total of households living in temporary homeless accommodation, with figures reaching 19,004 by the end of March 2026.
The strain on Scotland’s housing system continues to mount as new government data reveals a deepening accommodation crisis. Local authorities were accommodating more than 19,000 homeless households by the end of March, marking a 10% increase compared to the previous year. The figures also highlight an expansion in the number of open cases, where individuals remain stuck in the system waiting for permanent housing, rising by 10% to nearly 35,000 households.
Record Numbers of Children Trapped in Temporary Housing
Official statistics show that the number of children growing up in temporary accommodation has reached 10,715, representing a 5% increase over the year according to Scottish Government data. This total stands in stark contrast to historical records; tracking data shows just 2,390 households were housed in temporary accommodation across Scotland when records began in 2002.
It is simply intolerable that more children in Scotland are growing up in temporary accommodation, and it isn’t just about housing: a child without a stable home is a child whose education, health and life chances are all made harder.
Richard Meade, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations chief executive
The housing shortage affects major urban centres unevenly. Glasgow recorded 3,350 children in temporary accommodation this year, up slightly from 3,160.
Inside Glasgow’s Overstretched Support Network
For individuals caught in the system, temporary accommodation often means months or years spent in basic hotel rooms or bed and breakfasts. Scott Crean, a 37-year-old resident staying in a hotel room near Glasgow’s Trongate district, described the daily uncertainty of living out of a suitcase while waiting for a permanent property after experiencing a family breakdown and redundancy.
At the end of the day, it’s not somewhere I can decorate or call my own. It’s living out of a suitcase. I don’t feel comfortable here.
Scott Crean, Glasgow resident
Frontline support workers face similarly intense pressures.
I think in general terms the homelessness services are extremely busy, a lot busier… Case loads are extremely high and there are a lot more complexities with those presenting as homeless.
Samantha Lyle, social care worker
Diverging Trends Across Local Authorities
While Glasgow saw a decrease in overall homelessness applications, other council areas experienced sharp upward surges. Edinburgh recorded a rise with additional applications, and Aberdeen City saw an increase following local assessments. Across all local authorities, 13 regions experienced an increase in applications, while 19 saw declines.
Applications involving specific eligibility categories—including refugees, individuals with leave to remain, and Ukrainian nationals—remained concentrated in major cities. These applications accounted for a share of all filings in Glasgow and Edinburgh as municipal services manage complex caseloads.
Government Strategy and Ongoing Policy Debates
The rising numbers persist despite the Scottish Government formally declaring a housing emergency in May 2024 and introducing a subsequent action plan. Ministers have pointed to a record £4.9 billion investment package aimed at delivering 36,000 affordable homes between 2024 and 2030, alongside a wider target of 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 under the Housing to 2040 strategy.
We are determined to reduce homeless rates and are shifting our approach from crisis management to prevention and rapid rehousing. Our Homelessness Prevention Fund, Fund to Leave scheme for victims of abuse and delivery of 1,500 Housing First tenancies all look to support people before they reach crisis point.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing
With thousands of households still waiting for permanent homes, housing advocates maintain that meeting long-term supply targets remains essential to halting the ongoing emergency.
