More people are being housed

The number of people living in temporary accommodation in Scotland has risen by almost a third on the previous year.

Scottish Executive figures for the last three months of 2002 showed that 5,047 households - individuals, families, groups or couples - were placed in temporary accommodation.

For the same quarter the previous year, the figure was 3,913, which equates to an increase of 29%.

Fifty-two per cent of households were in local authority-owned properties and 28% in hostels.

People assessed as homeless, but non-priority, and who previously had no entitlement to accommodation are now entitled to support Scottish Executive spokeswoman

The figures showed that 1,457 families with dependent children were living in temporary accommodation, a rise of 288 on the same quarter in 2001 but slightly less than the 1,503 recorded in June 2002.

Of these households, 99 or 7% were placed in bed and breakfast accommodation compared to 48 a year earlier, but again the figures showed a slight drop from the situation six months previously, when 105 families were in bed and breakfasts.

An executive spokeswoman said the rise was not surprising.

She said the increase was largely due to new requirements placed on local councils from September 2002 under legislation passed by MSPs in 2001.

She said: "The reason for this is that changes in the law following the implementation of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 mean that many more people are eligible for help as councils must provide - at minimum - temporary accommodation, advice and assistance to everyone assessed as homeless.

'Strategies assessed'

"People assessed as homeless, but non-priority, and who previously had no entitlement to accommodation are now entitled to support."

The spokeswoman added: "Local authorities' homelessness strategies are currently being assessed and these strategies set out arrangements for eliminating bed and breakfast usage for homeless families with children as recommended by the Homelessness Taskforce.

"One of the executive's priorities is to reduce the use of inappropriate bed and breakfast accommodation and councils have received substantial funding to take this forward."

Shelter Scotland said the executive must ensure tough new standards are implemented in houring provision.

Spokeswoman Rachel Martin said: "It is totally unacceptable that children are still being placed in bed and breakfast hotels, where they are subjected to unhygienic living conditions, have nowhere to play and are sharing bathrooms with strangers.

"Shelter is calling for regulations as set out in the Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 to be released as a matter of urgency.

"We believe these regulations should include a ban on placing families in bed and breakfast hotels except in emergency situations."

The organisation said it has also found "deep concern" among councils about the resources they have available to meet demand.