Director of Shelter Scotland Graeme Brown has warned that Scotland must build more homes after new figures showed thousands of households stuck in temporary accommodation.

Scottish Government statistics released yesterday reported a 7% rise in the number of homeless households living in temporary accommodation.

Mr Brown said the new figures also showed a rise in the number of people giving mortgage default, or rent arrears as the reason for applying as homeless.

This comes on the back of new UK-wide FSA figures out showing a 68% increase in the number of repossessions in 2008, compared to 2007.

And with the potential for thousands more families to be made homeless through the economic crisis, Mr Brown said swift and decisive action was needed.


"These figures are a stark wake-up call to crank up housing supply in Scotland," he said.

"We already had a housing crisis in Scotland before the recession took hold - now we face the possibility of thousands more people in need of a roof over their heads because their house has been repossessed or they have been evicted for rent arrears.

"We must build more homes - and swiftly. That's why Shelter has called on the UK Treasury to invest in housing through the forthcoming budget to help lift thousands out of temporary accommodation or off waiting lists."

Mr Brown said long term solutions are needed. Scotland needs 10,000 affordable rented homes a year to help meet Scotland’s homelessness legislation.

"The new figures out today show we are making progress towards the 2012 homelessness target but the extra money from the UK Treasury would go some way to meeting housing need, as well as helping to safeguard jobs in the construction industry," he added.

Mr Brown will be taking this message to Alex Neil when he meets the new Minister later today.

(GK/JM)