Child homelessness in Scotland
This blog was last updated on 28 July 2026.
A child or young person in the homeless system doesn't always mean that they're sleeping on the streets.
They could be sleeping on a sofa at a friends house, or living in temporary accommodation.
The Scottish Government's recent figures from September 2025 show:
And 24% cases of homelessness contained children, young people, or pregnant woman.
This means there's a heart breaking number of children and young people without access to safety and security.
Help us be a vital lifeline for children, young people and families
Not having a safe home to come back to everyday can have a significant impact on a child or young person's physical and mental health.
It may lead to a lack of nutrition, poor sleep, and underachieving at school.
Homelessness can also increase the chance of developing a mental health condition such as anxiety or depression.
In 2024/25, 2,002 young people who were assessed as homeless were affected by a mental health condition.
We run 342 services for children, young people, and families across the UK.
Without a stable home, a young person’s future is uncertain.
But through our services, we aim to give this certainty back.
We do this by working with young people like 17-year-old Nicola.
Growing up, Nicola had a difficult home life, which made her feel depressed and caused her to lose focus at school.
She was referred to our Dundee Youth Housing service, where she was offered a temporary flat and guidance to live independently.
My mental health is more positive compared to before. Having my own space has allowed me to work on myself and my family relationships have improved.
Nicola
With our support, Nicola was able to focus on her final year at school and think about her future of one day owning her own clothing shop.
Help us be there for more young people
