Street sleeping in Edinburgh has doubled in the last three months and is reaching record level.
The Simon Community Scotland charity claims the sight of homeless people begging or sleeping on cardboard boxes is now an undeniable aspect of life in the capital.
The charity says there are 103 people regularly sleeping rough in the capital, double the figure recorded in September.
The situation underlines the way homelessness continues to run out of control, with demand for services heavily outstripping supply.
Simon Community says its staff at the support hub in Holyrood Road have seen visitors accessing its service increasing by more than 300 per cent in recent months.
CEO Lorraine McGrath said: “Anyone working or socialising in Edinburgh cannot fail to see the needs of people who are at the very extreme end of homelessness.
“We need to see long-term change, but immediately, we need the assistance of the people of Edinburgh to help us offer safe places, support and hope to everyone experiencing homelessness in the city.”
The charity’s street team is giving out an average of 30 sleeping bags a day.
Maeve McGoldrick, head of policy and communications for Crisis in Scotland, said: “These figures are deeply worrying – the support provided by organisations such as the Simon Community saves lives but there’s a real risk that rising levels of street homelessness will leave services unable to cope.
“Rough sleeping is incredibly dangerous at any time of year but with temperatures dropping there is a very real risk to life if accommodation is not provided for those who need it.
“We need urgent action from both local and national government to ensure no one is forced to sleep on the street
this winter.
“Scotland needs a wide range of action to prevent and end homelessness but in the short term, protecting lives must be a top priority.”
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