Almost 6,500 people made homeless in Highland over the last five years

The Highland Liberal Democrats are calling on the Scottish Government to end the “national embarrassment” of homelessness after revealing almost 6,500 people over the last five years declared themselves homeless across the Highlands.

David Green, the Scottish Liberal Democrat for Caithness, Sutherland and Ross, warned living on the streets can “take a huge toll on people’s mental and physical health, particularly among young people.” 

In response to a freedom of information request from the Highland Liberal Democrats, Highland Council confirmed 6,466 people declared themselves homeless or at risk of homelessness over the last five years - up from 1071 in 2020/21 to 1348 in 2024/25, 20% of whom were aged 18 to 25 in just the last year.

A recent report by Shelter Scotland - In Their Own Words: Children’s Experiences in Temporary Accommodation - found that living in temporary accommodation could affect children’s education and development as many had to frequently move schools, or faced long journeys to school.

The charity is calling for increased and sustained investment for family-sized social homes, and said more emphasis should be placed on quality and suitability of temporary accommodation.

To address a long-standing shortage of affordable homes, Highland Council says the area needs an extra 24,000 houses over the next 10 years. The scale of the challenge across Scotland led the Scottish Parliament to declare a housing emergency in May last year.

David Green, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Caithness, Sutherland & Ross, said:

“Living on the streets or shuttling between temporary accommodation can take a huge toll on people’s mental and physical health, particularly among young people.

“For a country as wealthy as we are, to have people on this scale declaring themselves homeless is a national embarrassment. The fact that the Scottish Government was forced to accept last year that we have a housing emergency says it all.

“The Scottish Government needs to bring empty homes back into use as well as building more homes and re-establishing social rent as a viable, long-term option.”

Neil Alexander, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Inverness and Nairn, added:

“The number of people on the Highland Council waiting list has gone up 5 years in a row across Inverness and Nairn. These new figures are a sobering reminder of the housing crisis we are facing in the Highlands.

“Whether you’re young or old, looking to rent or to buy, there simply aren't enough options for you to find a home - and that’s something my own family faced when trying to move for work in the Highlands.

“This Scottish Government has had to be dragged kicking and screaming to even declare a housing emergency. It still isn’t addressing issues with social housing stock, as well as the rise of short term lets.”

Andrew Baxter, Scottish Liberal Democrat candidate for Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch, said:

“It’s clear that Highland Council is being left to pick up the pieces of a crisis not of its own making, with scant support from the Scottish Government. We now have the ridiculous situation of people being unable to access council housing but being told to declare themselves homeless instead.

“This isn’t about bureaucracy - it’s about real families who just want a secure roof over their heads. The failure to build enough affordable homes and to tackle the pressures caused by short-term lets and second homes is leaving communities across the Highlands hollowed out. The Scottish Government must act, not just talk, if it truly cares about ending this housing emergency.”

ENDS.

Notes to editors:

Please see below the table of data compiled through freedom of information requests.