All political parties in Scotland urged to back proposals for ten-year plan to end homelessness

Homelessness is 'neither inevitable nor an insolvable problem', says Everyone Home Collective

All political parties in Scotland have been asked to back proposals for a ten-year plan to end homelessness.

Seeking to provide a way forward to answer the 'big questions' on how to end homelessness in the context of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and its aftermath, the Everyone Home Collective - a collaboration between 30 third and academic sector organisations including Shelter, Crisis, Cyrenians and the Salvation Army - has produced a series of route maps setting out its vision for the future.

In its latest route map, Can the Scottish Parliament come two terms with homelessness?, the Collective asks all political parties in Scotland to get behind five key asks in a 10-year commitment straddling two parliamentary terms - 

• prioritise prevention - commit to making ending homelessness a priority outcome in the National Performance Framework;
• more homes - build 53,000 affordable homes over the next five years, with 37,100 for social rent to reduce housing need;
• end rough sleeping - commit to ensuring this remains a public health priority with resources leveraged alongside cross-sector partners targeted to the areas most affected;
• systems change - commit to invest in local authority Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans at the level needed to realise their full ambition over the next 10 years; and
• no evictions into homelessness - evictions must be an absolute last resort and there should be no evictions into homelessness, from any sector or organisation - this means ensuring that lawful evictions do not leave any individual or family without a place to stay.

Commenting on the proposals, chief executive at Homeless Network Scotland Maggie Brünjes said - 

'Homelessness is not inevitable, or an unsolvable problem. The causes are predictable and we know who is most at risk – we can end homelessness in Scotland over two parliaments. Scotland already has a robust policy environment in place that we want to see strengthened and ramped up over the next decade to get everyone home.

Sustaining the cross-party accord on tackling homelessness that underpins the current approach in Scotland, and continuing this into the next Parliament and beyond, would provide consistency and stability. It would enable everyone to build on progress so far and complete the infrastructure that will consign homelessness to history.'

NB - other route maps produced by the Collective are Ending the need for night shelter & hotel room provision and Scotland’s Ambition to End Destitution and Protect Human Rights,

For more information, see Two Parliaments to End Homelessness from homelessnetwork.scot