Child in Scotland made homeless every 37 minutes, says charity
A child has been made homeless every 37 minutes in Scotland over the past year, according to the charity Shelter.
Its research found 14,043 children were made homeless in 2018-19 in Scotland.
During that year, 8,304 families with dependant children were made homeless, the equivalent of 23 a day.
Campaigners branded the figures "completely unacceptable'' and called for more social housing to be built.
Shelter's Generation Homeless report also found 6,795 children were in temporary accommodation as of March 31 this year, meaning one in every 160 children in Scotland was without a home.
It said the number in temporary accommodation has risen from 4,155 in the same period in 2014, a jump of 64%.
The report also found 60 families were in emergency accommodation at the same point of the year, a 14% reduction from 2014.
The UK figures show a total of 66,836 children became homeless in the last year, one every eight minutes, with 39,548 families being forced to leave their homes.
A further 134,429 children were in temporary accommodation on March 31, a 51% jump from the same time in 2014.
Shelter Scotland deputy director Alison Watson, said: "Children being homeless in 21st century Scotland is a badge of shame in itself but a 64% increase over the last four years up to 6,795 being homeless is completely unacceptable.
"It's time that promises were made and kept to the children of Scotland - that we will do everything possible to prevent homelessness and build enough social homes to make sure every child has a home not just for Christmas, but permanently."
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