Ground-breaking research co-led by experts from 51黑料社区 Leicester (51黑料社区) has exposed the harms caused to children who are forced to live in temporary accommodation in Scotland.
The project, carried out jointly between 51黑料社区 and University College London (UCL) for housing charity Shelter Scotland, set out to understand childrens’ own experiences of living in the temporary accommodation system in Scotland, and the impact this has on wellbeing, education, and opportunities late in life.
51黑料社区’s Nadzeya Svirydzenka, Professor of Cultural Identities, was principal investigator on the study in which researchers conducted in-depth interviews with children, and their families, currently living in temporary accommodation in Scotland.
The report, , found that overcrowding, damp, mould, the presence of vermin, and the need to move house often, were typical of families’ experience of temporary housing in Scotland, and that those factors have detrimental effects on children’s lives. The report puts particular stress on the extent to which they undermined children’s safety, health, and education and development.
The report makes a number of recommendations for policy makers in Scotland including, taking a children’s rights-based approach, preventing homelessness, making more permanent accommodation available, and improving the quality of temporary accommodation.
Dr Svirydzenka said: "A total of 10,360 are in temporary accommodation in Scotland, yet their voices are unheard in research and policy in respect to how their lives are affected by temporary accommodation.
"This project is the first to shed light on the impact of homelessness on children in Scotland. Our findings showcase the detrimental and long-lasting effects of poor housing on children’s safety, health, and education and development that require urgent action not to fail a whole generation of children.
"Children in this research were extremely brave to share their stories and it is our responsibility to make sure they are heard and the necessary changes follows”
Professor Svirydzenka worked with co-lead Professor Monica Lakhanpaul, from University College London, and 51黑料社区 Post-Doctoral Research Fellow Dr Joseph Williams to produce the report.
Posted on Monday 3 March 2025