Almost a third of homeless people in West Dunbartonshire are young people aged 16-25.

As of June 2014, 239 households were in temporary accomodation, 41 with children and 69 dependent children. While 63 per cent of new lets for social housing were made to homeless households in the last year.

The area’s MSP Jackie Baillie has issued a stark warning to Holyrood to get its act together in relation to the number of children without homes this winter.

Shelter Scotland announced last week that more than 4,000 Scottish children will be without permanent accommodation this Christmas Jackie said: “Shelter’s warning that up to 4,000 children will be homeless this Christmas should shock the Scottish Government into action.

“Scotland is experiencing a housing crisis with 150,505 families and individuals stuck on housing waiting lists.

“The SNP must act. We welcome Shelter’s call for the Scottish Government to build a minimum of 10,000 social houses a year to begin the fight back against homelessness.

“Last year the government built only 4,403 new social houses – a number which has fallen every year since 2009.

“Whilst we recognise the limited improvements that have been made in finding permanent homes for children in temporary accommodation, much more needs to be done. The Scottish Government’s continued cuts and financial pressures on local authority budgets are making a difficult situation a desperate one.

“Nicola Sturgeon must act now to ensure that as many children are found a permanent home before Christmas, and implement a strategy which makes the challenges of homeless Scots an absolute priority for this Government.” The report stated there was a high level of repeat homelessness which accounted for 32 per cent of all applications for assistance.

A council spokeswoman told the Reporter: “While youth homelessness continues to be a concern, the number of young people presenting as homeless in West Dunbartonshire decreased from 483 in 2012/13 to 443 in 2013/14.

“We are continuing to take action to reduce this further with a focus on early intervention. We have introduced initiatives such as a Young Persons and Family Mediation Service to help resolve issues which have resulted in homelessness and are committed to offering housing education within secondary schools.

“A number of temporary and supported accommodation options are available in West Dunbartonshire and bed and breakfast is used only in emergencies.” Councillor Ian Murray from the SNP spoke to the Reporter: “Jackie should remember that it was the SNP Government which had to take monies from its budget to mitigate the Bedroom Tax. If we had powers over welfare we could have ensured such a tax was never dreamt of.

“It’s rich coming from the Labour Party which has abandoned its roots and the working class people of Scotland as evident in the trends of thousands of people turning to the SNP, a party who will confine to stand up for the people of Scotland against the austerity and cuts agenda of the Tory/Lib Dem coalition at Westminster.

“Nicola Sturgeon has a positive vision for Scotland and its people, but her hands are tied by reducing budgets from Westminster. Only when we have control over welfare and taxation will we be in a position to tackle poverty.”