Newly published Scottish Government statistics show that over the course of the 2021 to 2026 Parliament, rough sleeping has more than doubled, overall homelessness has gone up nearly 20%, and the number of children in temporary accommodation has gone up 26%, the highest level since numbers began.

Homelessness statistics covering 1 April to 30 September 2025 also found:

• There were 20,643 applications for homelessness assistance. This is a decrease of 2% (468) compared with the same six-month period in 2024.
• There were 17,291 households assessed as homeless or threatened with homelessness; also a decrease of 2% (379) compared to 2024.
• There were 33,006 open cases at 30 September 2025. This is a 4% (1,124) increase compared to 30 September 2024 and the highest in the time series since 2003.
• There were 18,092 households and 10,480 children in temporary accommodation at 30 September 2025. These are also the highest in the time series since 2002 and increases of 9% and 1%, respectively, compared to 30 September 2024.
• There were 2,092 households reporting a household member experiencing rough sleeping in the three months prior to application, and 1,487 the night before. These are increases of 16% and 24%, respectively, compared to 2024.
• Applications from those with refugee / leave to remain status accounted for 16% of all applications. Applications from these households increased by 51% between 2024 and 2025, while they decreased for all other eligibility categories.
• There was a 4% decrease in the number of adults (to 19,469) and a 14% decrease (to 7,304) in the number of children associated with homeless households in the period April to September 2025 compared to 2024.
• There were 10,710 instances of households not being offered temporary accommodation. This is an increase from 7,565 in 2024.
• There were 3,635 breaches of the unsuitable accommodation order. This is a 12% decrease compared to 4,150 in 2024.
• A total of 19,280 cases closed between April and September 2025, a decrease of 6% compared to 20,604 in 2024.
• The proportion of households who secured settled accommodation having been assessed as unintentionally homeless, and where the outcome was known, was 83%, the same as 2024.

The latest homelessness statistics are set against the backdrop of the lowest number of social housing starts reported at the end of 2025.

Three months out from the election, Shelter Scotland is warning high levels of homelessness is becoming normalised. The charity is calling for new money and a new approach after decades of underinvestment in social housing across Scotland and the UK.

The charity says that a failure to prioritise fixing Scotland’s broken and biased housing system will lead to rising homelessness and further cuts to local services unless the next Scottish Government act.

Shelter Scotland director, Alison Watson, said: “Today’s figures show how high levels of homelessness are increasingly accepted as the new normal. Social housing delivery remains too little, too slow, too late for Scotland’s homeless children stuck in temporary accommodation.

“This hasn’t happened overnight. This is decades in the making. But despite promises, this has been a lost parliament for the 10,480 children without a home. Since 2021, we have seen the number of homeless applications/assessments rise by 18%, and the number of children in temporary accommodation soaring. These numbers - all representing real people, real families - are now increasingly accepted as a reality of Scotland in 2026. 

“As we look towards the election, we cannot accept that this will continue. We cannot continue to accept the law being broken every single day - with people at the sharpest end bearing the costs. This is why we desperately and urgently need a new approach, and the new money to match it.

“We welcomed the intent behind the First Minister’s plan for a national housing agency last week. But intent alone won’t build homes. Without the funding to match the ambition, homelessness will only rise. And we need the new agency to deliver for the people waiting for a home.

“We must be clear about the cost of failure. Failing to build the social homes we need means more families waking up without a place to call home, more children trapped in temporary accommodation and in poverty with rising costs for councils, health boards and the taxpayer. We can’t afford not to invest in Scotland’s future.”

For the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA), the housing emergency is causing “untold misery” for families and children across the country, as statistics showed a sharp increase in households denied temporary accommodation in the first place.

There were 10,710 instances of households not being offered temporary accommodation - far higher than 7,565 in 2024, while the number of children living in temporary accommodation has also marginally increased to 10,480 children as at 30 September 2025 compared to 10,360 in 2024.

SFHA chief executive, Richard Meade, said: “The level of homelessness in modern day Scotland is simply unconscionable and is causing untold misery for thousands of families and children across the country. We aren’t seeing these numbers fall, in fact a substantially higher number of people are not even being offered temporary accommodation. This can’t go on.

“We cannot begin to tackle homelessness without a radical and credible plan to build far more secure, warm and affordable homes. Whilst the Scottish Government’s recent announcement of plans for a new housing agency shows a willingness to explore ways to build more homes, the reality is that ending the housing emergency is going to require significantly increased public funding- beyond what has already been announced.

“Every child deserves the stability of a secure, warm and affordable place to call home and it is unacceptable this isn’t a reality. It’s time for politicians across all of our parties to work together and commit to building the 15,693 social and affordable homes we need each year of the next parliament to meet housing need and reverse these devastating levels of homelessness.”

COSLA spokesperson for community wellbeing, Cllr Maureen Chalmers, added: “Councils remain firmly committed to ensuring that our communities can access affordable, safe and stable homes. Today’s homelessness statistics are therefore disappointing, even if they show some homeless metrics stabilising for applications and assessments.

“Whilst we are seeing some progress, including fewer breaches of unsuitable accommodation orders, homelessness continues to have a profound impact on individuals and families across our communities.

“As we have set out in COSLA’s Manifesto for this year’s Holyrood Election, we are seeking the support of the next Scottish Government to confirm multi-year funding, devolve the control of funds to the local level and support our call for the UK Government to write off housing debt to accelerate the construction of new affordable homes.”

Maeve McGoldrick, head of policy and communications at Crisis Scotland, said: “These figures show the extraordinary pressure the homelessness system is being placed under. It’s particularly worrying to see a large rise in people rough sleeping in parts of the country. This is the most acute form of poverty and was quite uncommon a few years ago but is now becoming the new normal.

“While we have seen a promising reduction in the overall use of unsuitable temporary accommodation, which we have campaigned on for years, homelessness will only get worse unless more work is done to prevent it from occurring in the first place and support is available for everyone who needs it.

“With the rise in the use of hostels and B&Bs, Ministers must proceed at pace with the national roll out of Housing First, so that people in desperate need can be housed urgently. They must also prevent people being pushed onto the streets when leaving other institutions, such as prisons, health services and Home Office accommodation.

“Looking forward to the Scottish election in May, we need a commitment from all political parties to end homelessness in Scotland by 2040. Having this shared political commitment over a sustained period of time will be the most effective way of bringing about the structural changes needed, ensuring that we can end homelessness for good.”