Scotland’s latest homelessness statistics reveal rising rough sleeping, record numbers of people living in temporary accommodation, and growing pressures on local services — especially in Glasgow. While there has been a small dip in the number of people presenting as homeless, the overall picture shows a worsening housing emergency. In response, Blue Triangle CEO Gary Meek reflects on what these figures really mean for people across Scotland and for the services working hard to support them every single day.
Gary Meek’s Full Statement
“Today’s figures show a small dip in the number of people presenting as homeless — but not nearly enough to ease the pressure on a system already stretched to breaking point. Rough sleeping is rising, and too many people are being pushed to crisis before they receive help. These are frightening, destabilising experiences that leave people needing calm, compassionate, person centred support.”
“It is simply unacceptable that 10,480 children are living in temporary accommodation across Scotland. Long stays like these disrupt lives, slow recovery, and deepen the hardship families are already facing.”
“Glasgow, where Blue Triangle supports people every day, continues to face some of the most severe pressures — with high levels of rough sleeping and a significant increase in people needing help, including many who have recently received refugee status and must leave Home Office accommodation with very little notice. This is placing huge strain on local services and making it even harder for people to move on to a settled home.”
“For organisations like Blue Triangle, this means supporting more people with complex needs for longer, while the wider system struggles to keep pace. When councils are unable to offer accommodation thousands of times in six months, it’s clear Scotland urgently needs more homes, stronger support pathways and fair funding for frontline services.”
“Our vision is simple: a Scotland where everyone has a safe place to call home and the support they need to move forward with confidence and dignity. We are committed to this, and we continue to work closely with our partners, colleagues and communities to make that vision a reality.”