40% rise in callers to housing helpline

Calls to a helpline that deals with housing problems have increased by more than 40 per cent in the past three years, the charity that runs the service revealed.

Shelter Scotland said 60 individuals and families called its advice line a day last year – up from 42 calls a day in 2008-09. Almost 22,000 calls were made to the advice line in 2011-12, with the housing and homelessness charity saying there had been a “staggering” increase in the number of people looking for help. Shelter Scotland said it had faced “tough challenges” raising the money to pay for the helpline.