Shortages disfigure urban areas (10)
I believe the answer is:
scarcities
'shortages' is the definition.
The definition and answer can be both human attributes as well as being plural nouns.
Maybe they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'disfigure urban areas' is the wordplay.
'disfigure' becomes 'scar' (scarring is a kind of disfiguring).
'urban areas' becomes 'cities' (city is a kind of urban area).
'scar'+'cities'='SCARCITIES'
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for scarcities that I've seen before include "Lacks" , "deficits" .)