South Scotland MSP Colin Smyth has demanded action from the SNP as new figures show homelessness in some parts of south Scotland is rising.

Statistics show that in some local authority areas there was a rise in the number of homeless people compared to the previous year.

Other areas saw a small fall in numbers, while others stayed roughly the same, but Colin Smyth has warned that even one household without somewhere to live is one too many.

Colin Smyth said: “These stark figures must be a wake-up call for the SNP, who have buried their heads in the sand for too long.

“Too many people in our area are in crisis and local services are struggling to support them. Even one household without somewhere to live is one too many.

“There is a real risk this is just the start of the tidal wave of homelessness that we have been warned about, with the worst yet to come as the protections given to tenants during Covid, such as ban on evictions, are lifted.

“There has been a shameful failure in leadership from the SNP, who scrapped protections for tenants, axed support far too early and are imposing swingeing cuts on councils in the south of Scotland.

“We cannot afford to waste any more time – the SNP must act urgently to support tenants and homeowners at risk of homelessness, and help Councils provide the quality, permanent housing people need.”