Glasgow has more children in temporary accommodation than the whole of Wales
More children are stuck in temporary accommodation in Glasgow than across the whole of Wales, according to new figures from the city’s local authority.
3,503 children in the city were living in temporary housing as of February 2025 according to a letter from Glasgow City Council to the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee revealed that.
In comparison, Wales reported 2,679 children in the same situation in December.
Glasgow is the second Scottish city to reveal such alarming figures, following Edinburgh, where 3,600 children are also trapped in temporary accommodation.
A new report, In Their Own Words: Children’s Experience in Temporary Accommodation, has shed light on the devastating effects of unsuitable housing on children.
Those affected described experiencing violence, vermin infestations, isolation, ill health, and financial struggles due to their families’ reliance on local authority assistance.
Shelter Scotland’s Director, Alison Watson, said: “It is outrageous that there are significantly more children waking up in Glasgow without a permanent home than facing the same situation in the entirety of Wales.
“We can’t tackle child poverty without tackling child homelessness.”
A spokeswoman for Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership said: “It is a very unfortunate situation and certainly not one we wish anyone to be in.”
She noted that Glasgow has “no council housing” and instead depends on “Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) who have high demands themselves.”
She added that demand “far outstrips availability,” forcing families— including children— to spend extended periods in temporary housing.
“We’ve had to expand our use of bed and breakfast in an attempt to meet the current demands for homelessness assistance and avoid people having to sleep rough.”
