MORE than three people per day are presenting as homeless to Dumfries and Galloway Council – as the region’s housing crisis shows no signs of letting up.
There have been 641 homeless applications made locally in the first half of 2024/25.
And the trend is upwards, with 311 cases in the first quarter of the year (April-Jun) and then 330 in the second quarter (July-Sept).
Six of those cases involved youngsters under the age of 18 desperate for a roof over their heads.
The 641 homeless applications total equates to an average rate of 3.5 applications per day. Housing teams are scrambling to help but there is a drastic shortage of temporary accommodation available.
North West Dumfries Councillor Paula Stevenson, who pushed for the council to declare a housing emergency in the summer, said this week: “Over three people a day presenting as homeless is truly appalling.
“To see there are still people in bed and breakfasts is heartbreaking. It isn’t suitable accommodation when you don’t have access to your own cooking equipment or washing machine, and when you can’t cook your own meals, life becomes really expensive.
“People trapped in registered social landlord homeless accommodation can’t settle in and make the house a home as they don’t know when they will be moved.
“And let’s not forget those trapped in unsuitable accommodation for their needs – they may be sleeping on a friend’s sofa.”
There is a drastic shortage of properties in this region – which resulted in nearly 700 cases of homeless people being sent to B&Bs last year.
That heavy reliance on bed and breakfasts has also resulted in Dumfries and Galloway Council committing 318 breaches of government rules on accommodation standards.
After declaring a housing emergency in the summer, council housing chiefs got to work on an action plan to try and address the crisis.
Earlier this month, councillors also agreed to lobby the Scottish Government, calling for a cut of its additional UK funding to help build more social homes in the region.
Councillor Stevenson continued: “I had hoped the council action plan would have come forward sooner, but it won’t be presented until early 2025, and I can see these figures becoming much worse.
“With cuts to the housing budget from the Scottish Government and £30m of cuts to find to the council’s budget this situation is seriously worrying.
“In the latest figures we have had one homeless death in our region. There is no time for dancing around this issue – the council is working flat out to support those in need but the Scottish Government need to up their game and deliver both in support strategy and in finance.”
