Number of Fifers recorded as homeless up by 10 per cent

That's according to Fife Council’s head of housing, John Mills, who told councillors that the problem is most acute among single people under the age of 35.

At a community and housing committee, he said the number of people recorded as homeless had increased by 10 per cent in the Kingdom, while a councillor said the Right to Buy had proved to be a "disaster for society".

Mr Mills said: "Many families are having to leave due to the negative impact of the benefit cap and high rents, which have left a lot of people struggling.

"Access to home ownership has also become increasingly difficult.”

He added that Right to Buy – which allowed most tenants to buy their council home at a discount –had reduced the council housing stock from 76,000 in the 1980s to just 28,500 now.

Councillor Alice McGarry said: “The main thrust for me is the part that private housing plays.

"We have cases of people who have been driven out of private housing because the landlord is selling or they can’t afford rents.

"There is no seamless way for them to get onto the Fife Council housing register without actually going homeless.”

However, Cllr Richard Watt disputed that Right to Buy was a negative scheme, saying it allowed a lot of people to own homes.

Cllr McGarry replied: “The sale of council housing did advantage individuals, but it impoverished council tenants.

"We now have people who are unable to afford high rents in ex-council housing.

"Right to Buy has been a disaster for society as far as I’m concerned.”

Mr Mills said: “There is some data to suggest that the market is starting to price people out of being able to private rent.

"Universal Credit in part is causing some homelessness in Fife and the private rented sector.

"The housing allowance is not available to those in private rent.

“The age criteria is overwhelmingly single people under 35 – 70 per cent.

"The single room rate causes homelessness as people can’t get benefits to support it in the private rented sector and find it very difficult to sustain.

"The benefit system doesn’t support those under 35 who are single.”

However, councillors welcomed the extensive affordable home building programme the council was undertaking.

Mr Mills said that while phase three was going well, they had also learned lessons from phase two, including how to better integrate new housing schemes into existing communities, and building in smaller scales for less disruption.