Housing Minister welcomes fall in homelessness
24 Jun 2014 02:59 PM
Homelessness falls by 9 per cent in
2013-14.
Commenting on statistics released by Scotland’s
Chief Statistician on homelessness yesterday, Housing Minister Margaret Burgess
said:
“I welcome the continued fall in homelessness in
Scotland, with the number of people assessed as homeless and applying for
homelessness assistance falling by 9 per cent and 8 per cent respectively in
2013-14. I am particularly pleased to see a 15 per cent decrease in households
with children in temporary accommodation, as well as a fall in the number of
children in temporary accommodation, and a decrease in the number of families
using bed and breakfast accommodation.
“In addition, the fact there were no breaches of
the Unsuitable Accommodation Order shows that even in those instances where
children or pregnant women were in temporary accommodation, the accommodation
has met their needs.
“The Scottish Government is committed to
supporting people of all ages who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless,
and we have worked hard with local authorities to develop services that help
prevent homelessness before it occurs.
“Today’s figures highlight the progress we
are making in this area, and we will continue to work with our partners to
prevent homelessness and improve outcomes for households experiencing
difficulties.”