The number of families living in homeless hotels and B&Bs has almost quadrupled since the start of the year.

Official figures show that on August 1, there were 97 families in the position where they were not living in a home.

It is a huge rise from January 1 when it was 26. It has increased throughout the year with the Glasgow Times having reported in April there were 52 families in hotels and B&Bs

 The council has had to increase its spending on hotels and B&B in the private sector to meet the overall demand and increase in homelessness in the city.

There are now 1658 people in total in the hotels, whereas in January it was 1390.

The number of women in the hotels where men are also housed has increased to 314 in August

The Glasgow Times has been running the End The Homeless Hotel Shame campaign where we have called for the standards and conditions in the hotels to be improved.

READ NEXT: End the Homeless Hotel Shame

The latest figures were obtained under Freedom of Information by housing campaigner Sean Clerkin of the Scottish Tenants Organisation, who branded the increase a scandal.

Sean Clerkin, said: “It is a scandal that there has been a fourfold increase in vulnerable homeless families with children being put into squalid and Dickensian hotels with Glasgow City Council breaking the law in that they are placing these families with children in unsuitable accommodation that is overcrowded devoid of basic facilities for human existence.

“As bad is the situation of 314 women being placed in hellhole hotels populated by so many men, placing them at serious risk of sexual violence.

“Women and children should all be placed in suitable and safe accommodation and moved on quickly to permanent safe and secure social housing.”

READ NEXT:Number of families in homeless B&Bs in Glasgow doubles

The council said there was serious pressure on the services in the city due to rising demand.

Glasgow last year declared a housing emergency which is still in place.

A spokesperson for Glasgow’s Health and Social Care Partnership said: “It’s not an insignificant feat that we are providing emergency and temporary accommodation to more than 7,000 people when it is well documented that the housing system in Glasgow is experiencing significant pressure.

“There is no council housing in Glasgow, and we rely on Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) who have high demands in terms of housing need to meet, as well as in relation to homelessness.

“We work well with these RSLs, and they are committed to providing us with accommodation but currently demand outstrips availability which means people are spending longer in emergency and temporary accommodation than any of us would want.

“We declared a housing emergency last year due to the cumulative impact of pressures on the city in relation to housing and homelessness and expanded our use of bed and breakfast in an attempt to meet the current demands for homelessness assistance and avoid people having to sleep rough.”