The number of Scots applying for help with homelessness has risen for the first time in ten years.

Scottish councils received 34,972 applications for homelessness assistance between April 2017 and March 2018, up 872 from the year before.

The increase breaks an eight-year trend of successive decreases in homelessness, from a peak of nearly 58,000 applications in 2008/09.

Chief reasons for applying for homeless status were disputes within households and relationship breakdowns.

The Scottish Government statistics also reveal the number of people living in temporary accommodation has increased from last year.

There were 10,933 households in temporary accommodation, with the number of children in such settings increasing by 557 (9%) to 6615, the fourth consecutive annual increase.

A total of 2582 households were in temporary accommodation for a year or longer and there were 400 occasions where local authorities broke the law by housing someone in inappropriate accommodation for longer than seven days.

Both homelessness charity Shelter Scotland and Scottish Labour branded the figures "shocking" while the Scottish Greens said ministers were failing to tackle the housing crisis.

The Greens pointed to the "scourge of short-term lets and second homes" depriving Scottish communities of "badly-needed long-term homes".

The Scottish Government said it remains committed to "ending homelessness and rough sleeping for good".

Shelter Scotland director Graeme Brown said: "These statistics are shocking and should start alarm bells ringing in Holyrood that homelessness in Scotland is getting worse not better.

"Every 18 minutes a household was made homeless in Scotland last year with 34,972 homelessness applications - more than last year.

"For the fourth year in a row the number of homeless children living in temporary accommodation has risen - up 9% to 6,615. And people are having to stay longer in temporary accommodation with their lives in limbo.

"This is clear evidence that the good progress we have seen in recent years is now being reversed and bad housing and homelessness is blighting the lives of even more people in Scotland - robbing them of their health, security and a fair chance in life.

"We welcome the focus on homelessness in the last year from the Scottish Government but it is now time for urgent action from all areas of local and national government to work together better to tackle and prevent homelessness in Scotland."

Pauline McNeill, Scottish Labour's housing spokeswoman, said: "These figures are truly shocking.

"Having just one person homeless in 21st century Scotland is unacceptable - but to see homelessness on the rise once again is a scandal.

"It is clear the SNP government simply is not taking Scotland's homelessness crisis seriously and SNP ministers should be ashamed by these figures."

Scottish Greens housing spokesman Andy Wightman said: "These disappointing figures show the Scottish Government is failing to tackle Scotland's housing crisis.

"It's simply not the priority it should be, and as result we have more families and more children in temporary accommodation, causing distress that will affect them throughout their lives.

"Housing a basic human right and Scottish ministers are far too cautious when it comes to taking radical action.

"We need to see bold measures that reduce the cost of land for councils to build the homes that are needed in our communities and we need strong action to stop the scourge of short-term lets and second homes depriving our city centres and rural towns and villages of badly-needed long-term homes."

He added: "It speaks volumes that when pressed on the issue, the housing minister doesn't even know that his own manifesto committed to building - not delivering - 50,000 new affordable homes.

"Behind the latest homelessness statistics are real lives in need of help and Scottish ministers' steady-as-we-go approach will simply not do."

The Scottish Government announced on Tuesday plans to build a thousand new affordable homes for rent across Scotland thanks to a £47.5m loan from ministers.

The deal, one of largest long-term loans of its kind, will see the Scottish Government provide cash to PfP Capital - part of the Places for People regeneration group.

The loan cash will then be used to fund the development of mid-market homes for rent across the country.

Commenting on the homelessness figures, housing minister Kevin Stewart said: "Everyone deserves a safe and warm place to call home which is why we are committed to ending homelessness and rough sleeping for good.

"While the long-term trend shows a decrease in the number of homeless applications - a reduction of 39% between 2008/9 and 2017/18 - these figures are a reminder of why preventing homelessness and transforming temporary accommodation will remain a key priority for government.

"We want time spent in unsuitable temporary accommodation to be as short as possible, especially for households with children or where there is a pregnancy.

"This is why we introduced a cap of one week for families and pregnant women living in B&B accommodation.

"We also need temporary accommodation to be of a high standard, with good support, for everyone."