A support worker has warned that Scotland will see "a huge rise in homelessness" if the cost of living crisis gets worse. Julie Woods has warned that the government needs to work on preventative measures, as statistics show 250 people died from homelessness in the past year.
The Edinburgh and Lothian support worker for homeless charity Crisis UK made the claim in response to shocking figures released today. Although down slightly from 2020, when there were an estimated 256 such deaths, the total for 2021 is 52% higher than the first time the figures were produced in 2017.
The report states that over half of deaths amongst those who were homeless were due to drug-misuse - with this being the cause of 127 deaths, representing 51% of the total. Suicide accounted for 9% of deaths, while 7% were related to alcohol, according to NRS.
According to the figures men make up the majority of deaths with 81% reported to be male. A further 60% of deaths reported are believed to be aged under 45.
In the report, NRS explained that as homeless deaths "are difficult to count" the method it used "tries to account for and estimate how many we might have missed". Of the 250 deaths that occurred last year, 222 were identified from death registration records, with an additional 28 deaths estimated using statistical modelling.
Speaking to the Daily Record about the figures, Julie said: "People might think that if someone has a roof over their heads then everything is fine, or that homelessness is just rough sleeping. But homelessness strips you of your dignity, of your privacy, of so many things. People get locked into it – doing massive damage to their mental health and the system isn’t set up to help people out of it.
"In recent months, we have also had to deal with the ongoing cost of living crisis more and more. People are being swept up in a rising tide of debt and hardship, often pushing them even closer to homelessness, or deeper into it. We are seeing more families in need of support, and more people sleeping in their cars."
Housing Secretary Shona Robison described the figures, produced by National Records of Scotland (NRS) as "heart-breaking reading". Ms Robison said: "Behind every statistic is a human story and this year's report provides heart-breaking reading.
"We know that experience of multiple forms of extreme disadvantage, including homelessness, poor mental health and opioid dependence, is linked to higher rates of ill health and premature death. We are committed to doing all we can to address disadvantages and prevent homelessness from happening in the first place."
"That is why we are introducing new homelessness prevention duties in the forthcoming Housing Bill and why we continue to support local authorities to develop housing first programmes."
"While it is positive to see a fall in the number of drug-related deaths compared to 2020, the numbers remain worryingly high. One focus of the national mission on drug deaths is to strengthen partnerships between health and homelessness services to improve outcomes for people experiencing homelessness and multiple complex needs, including substance use."
Scottish Conservative housing spokesman Miles Briggs slammed the figures as "nothing short of appalling". He said: "In modern Scotland, it is shameful that hundreds of people are still dying on our streets. What is most concerning is that the figures are only heading in the wrong direction."
Scottish Liberal Democrat housing spokesperson Paul McGarry described the figures as "dreadful". He said: "This homeless deaths emergency is a reflection of failed Government policies on drugs, mental health and housing."
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