THERE are more children in temporary accommodation in Edinburgh than across all of Wales, according to recent homelessness statistics.
Leading charity Shelter Scotland has pointed to figures which show more than 3,600 children stuck in temporary housing in the city, compared to 2,823 across Wales.
This follows Shelter Scotland’s condemnation of the City of Edinburgh Council’s plan to tackle the ongoing housing crisis, which at one point considered forgoing safety measures and placing people in unlicensed HMOs.
It also follows the shocking news that the number of children living in temporary housing in Scotland is at its highest level since 2002.
The council’s housing, homelessness and fair work committee have released information in advance of a meeting to discuss cyclical assurance on service performance next week.
Statistics also show that the number of households in temporary accommodation is showing a month-on-month increase, and that 1,110 households were in unsuitable temporary accommodation as of December 2024.
Shelter Scotland director Alison Watson said: “It is the harrowing reality that 3,600 children in Edinburgh are waking up homeless.
“The situation in Wales is also stark with the latest statistics revealing 2,823 children without a permanent home.
“However, this represents a slightly improving picture in Wales, while here in Scotland things continue to spiral out of control.
“The Scottish Government is always keen to highlight comparisons with the rest of the UK when it suits them – but the fact that significantly more children in our capital city are waking up homeless than in the entirety of Wales, which is in the grip of its own housing emergency, is scandalous.
“This is the direct consequence of the Scottish Government and local authorities failing to prioritise housing and the desperate need for more social homes.
“The Scottish Government must do more to target resources where they are most needed if they’re to meet their own ambition of eradicating child poverty.
“We can’t tackle child poverty without tackling child homelessness. And we can’t tackle child homelessness without more social homes.”