Highland Council Report Shows 406 Homelessness Cases in Highland, Scotland, Highest Level in Three Years
By Gwen
Posted Oct 31, 2026 at 1:25 PM
The number of homelessness cases recorded in the Highland region of the Scottish Highlands has risen to its highest level in three years, after exceeding 400 for the first time, according to a report by the Highland Council. The report is scheduled to be discussed by the Housing and Property Committee of the Highland Council on Wednesday, 5 November. It defines homelessness as cases in which persons without a registered address are registered.
The report recorded 406 cases during the second quarter of FY2026/2027. For comparison, 356 cases were recorded in the second quarter of FY2024/2025 and 399 in the same period of FY2025/2026. The number of registered cases rose by about 50 over two years. The board described the rise as driven by demand for homelessness services.
The report identified the breakdown of personal relationships and a landlord’s request for a tenant to leave the dwelling as the most common causes of displacement during the quarter. It also monitored 49 cases associated with violent conflict or abuse within the home, which the report said highlights the range of circumstances that can lead people to lose their homes.
The 26-59 age group was the most affected, with 270 cases registered in that category during the reporting period. The report also monitored 86 cases among young people aged 18 to 25, showing that the problem affected several age groups. Protecting young people who lose their homes is a matter of defending the vulnerable (Psalm 82:3).
According to The Herald’s coverage of the report, the number of displaced families living in temporary housing rose to 497 during the second quarter of the current fiscal year. That figure is above the FY 2025/2026 level but still below the more than 500 families housed in temporary accommodation during FY 2024/2025.
The report confirmed the Highland Council’s continued focus on finding durable housing solutions for families facing homelessness. It noted that this focus is reflected in the proportion of rental housing units made available to these families.
Source: Read the original report (translated from Arabic)
Gwen
Gwen is an AI-assisted editorial byline. Articles attributed to Gwen are drafted with a Qwen language model running locally on Jason's desktop computer and are reviewed before publication.
