Ending homelessness together: annual report to the Scottish Parliament, December 2025
This annual report sets out the progress made in the last 12 months by national government, local government and third sector partners towards ending homelessness in Scotland.
Introduction
This annual report summarises the progress made during the last year towards ending homelessness in Scotland.
The Scottish Government and our local authority partners are committed to ending homelessness. By ending homelessness, we do not mean that no one will ever lose their home again, but Scotland’s homelessness strategy – a strategy owned jointly by the Scottish Government and COSLA – sets out how we will work together to address the root causes of homelessness; prevent homelessness where possible; and respond quickly when homelessness does occur. Our aim is to ensure that everyone has a home that meets their needs. The Housing (Scotland) Bill was passed on 30 September 2025 and became the Housing (Scotland) Act on 6 November 2025. It presents an opportunity for Scotland to be a world leader in ending homelessness. Scotland already has some of the strongest homelessness rights in the world and the new legislation introduces transformational measures that will make preventing homelessness a shared public responsibility and ensure intervention starts as early as possible and before people reach crisis point.
The most recently published homelessness statistics, covering the period 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, demonstrate the scale of the challenge Scotland faces in reducing homelessness. Having a safe, warm and affordable home is the foundation for a life of dignity and opportunity. While we are proud of the legally enshrined right to temporary accommodation for homeless households who need it, long stays in temporary accommodation are not good for anyone’s health and wellbeing.
We know high housing costs contribute to homelessness and to child poverty. The Scottish Government’s housing emergency action plan was launched in September 2025 and the proposals within it were broadly agreed at a COSLA meeting of council leaders. Homelessness charities and housing organisations welcomed the focus on children and groups experiencing housing precarity. The plan is an important part of the Scottish Government’s efforts to eradicate child poverty and sets out new actions to end children living in unsuitable temporary accommodation; to support the housing needs of those most at risk of homelessness; and to increase the supply of affordable and social housing in order to give children the best start in life.