Surge in rough sleeping in Scotland revealed as 'crisis' poses 'serious risk' to life this winter

dailyrecord.co.uk:

A surge in rough sleeping in Scotland is putting lives at "serious risk" this winter, campaigners have warned. Everyone Home Collective - a group of around 40 charitable and academic organisations focused on housing and homelessness - has called for action on the “accelerating and avoidable rough sleeping crisis.”The group has said that a lack of accommodation is forcing more and more homeless people across the country to sleep rough.

The EHC has written to the Scottish Government urging them to address the issue with the cold winter months fast approaching.Government figures show that 2,931 people slept rough before making a homelessness application between April 2023 and March 2023, up 20 per cent from 2,425 the year before.

The worrying numbers are also higher than pre-pandemic levels, according to the EHC.The campaigners have put the surge down to the ongoing housing emergency and the use of “unsuitable temporary accommodation” in Scotland.

They also highlighted austerity policies, the cost-of-living crisis, and “inadequate social security” as factors that made the issue worse.The EHC said: “Every person who is forced to sleep rough is one too many.