Highland homeless children’s plight highlighted by Green MSP Ariane Burgess after Crisis figures reveal 75 per cent jump in number in just 10 years
A “stark jump” in the number of homeless Highland children over the past 10 years is a direct result of “cruel austerity policies”, a local MSP has said after demanding action.
Ariane Burgess, the Scottish Green MSP for the Highlands & Islands, has hit out at the Conservatives who introduced “cruel Tory austerity policies” and the current Labour government, which she has accused of “seeming determined to stick to” them.
She was speaking after highlighting figures from housing charity crisis, which revealed a 75 per cent rise in the number of children in temporary homeless accommodation in the Highland Council area in the space of 10 years.
The figures showed that there were 135 such children in the Highlands in 2014, but that this had risen to 235 by 2024.
READ MORE: Highland MSP who was once homeless appointed to parliament committee which focuses on housing
READ MORE: Scottish charity supporting rural communities to secure affordable housing announces closure
“It’s deeply concerning that so many children are dealing with the uncertainty and disruption of homelessness,” said the MSP. “These stark figures reflect the direct impact of more than a decade of cruel Tory austerity policies, which Labour seem determined to stick to, that are storing up problems for the future and failing our most vulnerable citizens.
“Some local authorities have bucked this trend. Moray, Shetland and the Western Isles have all seen falls in the number of homeless children in their care, while in Argyll & Bute the picture has remained stubbornly static. We need to share best practice, look at all options to provide stable homes and invest in the next generation.
“It’s crucial that councils and the Government work together to do all they can to address the housing emergency through expanding retrofit and re-use programmes for existing empty properties. These can become homes faster and more affordably than new builds. In fact, it’s possible to deliver three renovated and retrofitted homes for the price of one new build if there’s the political will to take on this challenge directly.
“There is no time to waste, the hundreds of homeless children across my region can’t endure another Christmas with no home.”
