The “scandalous” cost of emergency homeless accommodation is leaving desperate people with thousands of pounds in bills which they can’t pay.
And some are resorting to sleeping in their cars just to avoid the massive costs, an investigation has found.
Today the Sunday Mail reveals the charges levied on working people who need to be put up in places such as hostels, B&Bs and flats by their local councils after seeking help.
This is often following the breakdown of a relationship or losing their home after being unable to pay bills due to the cost-of-living crisis.
The worst affected are those in work who are not eligible for housing benefit and therefore have to pay the full cost themselves.
In one case, a swimming instructor told us how he was put into a hostel with six other men after the breakdown of his marriage, leaving him with a £2000 bill for two months of emergency accommodation.
Some of the huge costs are detailed in a report by The Homeless Action Scotland charity.
Its communications and engagement manager, Garry Burns, said: “It is scandalous that working people in need of homeless accommodation cannot afford the rent being charged.
“As our report demonstrates, there are some local authorities that effectively exclude working people from accessing homeless accommodation by charging extremely high rent for temporary homeless accommodation.
“Homeless Action Scotland are therefore calling on the Scottish Government and the Scottish Housing Regulator to investigate this issue further to ensure that people in employment will never again be told they cannot afford to be homeless.”
Its report found cases of people in employment forced to live in their cars or vans – because it was too expensive to be officially homeless.
They include a window cleaner and a carer.
Edinburgh City Council are charging £667.40 a week for a family property in the West Pilton area.
The average charge for a normal council or housing association tenant is only £74 per week. From April, Glasgow City Council will charge £159.83 a week for temporary furnished flats and £364.64 per week for their homeless hostels.
The weekly charge for a flat in Dundee is about £320, while homeless people in Moray can be charged £205 a week for a property.
In most areas, privately rented flats are cheaper – but those facing an emergency homeless crisis would be unlikely to access them right away.
Last year, 3600 working Scots who lost their homes had to refuse the offer of temporary accommodation because it was too expensive.
Many instead are forced to rely on friends and family for a bed. Homeless Action Scotland says the working homeless can find themselves pursued by councils for unpaid rent on their temporary homes, with one said to use a debt collection agency.
It is estimated the total amount owed to councils for temporary accommodation is £33million.
The highest homeless debt is £12.7million in Edinburgh, followed by £5.1million in Glasgow,
Homeless Action Scotland found 75 per cent of the working homeless were unable to afford the charges.
To make matters worse, some of the temporary accommodation, such as B&Bs, have set curfew hours which make it difficult for tenants working long hours or at night.
It is estimated about 8000 people a year have to seek emergency accommodation.
Sean Clerkin, campaigns coordinator for the Scottish Tenants Organisation, added: “It is to Scotland’s shame that local authorities are charging hundreds of pounds per week for homeless people to get access to temporary accommodation.
“We have written to the Scottish Government demanding that they write homeless debt off and pay for homeless temporary accommodation.”
He added that longer-term solutions were an eviction ban, two-year rent freeze and more homes.
Moray Council and Glasgow City Council both said they apply a “reasonable charge”. Edinburgh Council said they tried to make it affordable and offer help with benefits.
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