GLASGOW has more children in temporary accommodation than there are facing the same situation in Wales, a council letter has revealed.
An update from Glasgow City Council to the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee of the Scottish Parliament has shown increasing numbers of children in temporary accommodation when compared to June 2024.
Latest figures reveal that as of February, 3503 children are living in temporary accommodation in Glasgow.
This compares with 2679 children stuck in temporary accommodation across all of Wales in December.
This follows recent findings that highlight how 3600 children in Edinburgh are also in temporary accommodation, similarly dwarfing figures for the entirety of Wales.
The figure follows new research which shows the conditions young people are living in when staying at temporary accommodation.
Titled "In Their Own Words: Children’s Experience in Temporary Accommodation", children spoke to homelessness charity Shelter Scotland about witnessing violence, vermin, isolation, ill health and financial penalties.
Shelter Scotland Director, Alison Watson said: “It is the devastating reality that 3503 children in Glasgow are trapped in, often unsuitable, temporary accommodation.
“The situation in Wales is also stark with the latest statistics revealing 2679 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.”
She continued: “It is outrageous that there are significantly more children waking up in Glasgow without a permanent home than facing the same situation in the entirety of Wales, which is fighting its own housing emergency.
“We warned two years in a row that cuts to the housing budget would result in increased numbers of children in temporary accommodation that we know exposes children to violence, vermin and isolation - yet the Scottish Government chose to make the cuts anyway. This increase is a direct consequence of that.”
The statement concluded: “We can’t tackle child poverty without tackling child homelessness. And we can’t tackle child homelessness without more social homes where they are most needed.”
This comes as recent figures indicate that one in 10 homes used for temporary accommodation in Scotland are lying empty.
The Government said the difference could be due to the higher turnover in temporary accommodation and the need to have housing supply on demand for emergencies.
