As of 3rd of February 2026, 10,480 children wake up somewhere they are unable to call home, according to Shelter Scotland. Since 2021, the number of children in temporary accommodation has risen by 26%.

Scotland’s homelessness legislation is relatively progressive. Under Scotland’s homelessness framework, local authorities must evaluate families’ circumstances and provide assistance if a family falls into homelessness, which can include assisting with locating settled accommodation.

Despite this, so many children, through no fault of their own, end up without settled accommodation and are still forced into homelessness due to housing shortages, rising rent and breakdowns in family support. Temporary housing can look like staying in hostels, hotels, or council flats, which in most cases are shared with others, creating problems of its own.

10,480 children in temporary accommodation is up from 8,635 in 2022, which had already increased 17% from the year prior, according to the Scottish government. So, that’s now five years of child homelessness increasing – John Swinney says ending child poverty is his and the SNP government’s priority. Looking at the record, however, it would seem the government have been fairly ineffective in reducing actual rates of child homelessness since 2021.

It would not be reasonable to allege that the Scottish Government has been inactive, however. The expansion of the Scottish Child Payment, more investment in affordable housing and new prevention duties under recent housing legislation to try and target families who are likely to fall into homelessness, six months before they do, are all very welcome interventions.

This also follows news just this month that Glasgow City Council is set to become the first local authority to provide free school meals to all primary-aged children, which will have a huge positive impact on children experiencing insecure housing.

Despite these measures, it cannot be ignored that the number of children in temporary accommodation has continued to rise, which raises serious questions about why current interventions are simply not matching the scale of the crisis.

The continued rise in child homelessness demonstrates a persistent gap between policy ambition and lived reality. What this emphasises is the systemic pressure on Scotland’s housing system: with supply shortages and bottleneck strains on temporary accommodation. Greater measures taken in early prevention, such as a focus on supporting families before they experience homelessness, are clearly needed in a crisis which is rooted in economic inequality and insufficient housing stock.

If we turn to the actual experience of temporary housing, the picture is one of instability and overcrowding. These circumstances can have grave consequences for children, affecting education, mental health and overall well-being. The average person can’t imagine growing up in those circumstances, living rough, life on hard mode, and many struggle to make it out of these harsh conditions.

Homeless Network Scotland claims that childhood homelessness in Scotland is a major factor in adult homelessness, stating that adverse experiences and instability eventually lead to long-term social issues such as struggling to find settled accommodation. Research suggests that young runaways, those living in care and those experiencing levels of homelessness or poverty in their lives are significantly more likely to be homeless in their adult life and even if they make it out as a child, are likely to return.

Without a more radical and coordinated approach, Scotland runs the risk of allowing this cycle to grow, keeping thousands of children spending crucial developmental years in unstable and brutal conditions.

Tyler Quinn

Studying English and creative writing