Visit to Edinburgh's West Granton Housing Co-operative marks launch of new £4m fund to prevent homelessness
Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan has visited Edinburgh’s West Granton Housing Co-operative to launch a new £4 million fund for pilot projects in preventing homelessness.
The Scottish Government’s Housing Bill, currently going through the Scottish Parliament, includes a new “ask and act” duty, which will require bodies such as health boards, the police and prison service to routinely ask individuals about their housing situation to identify anyone who is homeless or at risk of becoming homelessness, and then take action to prevent it.
The new fund announced by Ms McAllan will support organisations to pilot “ask and act” measures.
During her visit to West Granton, she also found out more about the housing co-operative’s “Get Settled” project which supports 400 households who are homeless, or facing homelessness, across Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and Fife.
Ms McAllan said: “We are determined to end homelessness – and the best way to do this is to prevent homelessness in the first place. This investment in prevention pilots will help us test and scale up innovative approaches to help people stay in their homes.
“By taking action to prevent homelessness and reduce demand on the homelessness system, we can help ease the housing emergency.
“Projects such as West Granton Housing Co-operative’s ‘Get Settled’ demonstrates how targeted support can transform lives by not only helping people to find a home but supporting them to settle into their communities.
“By working with housing associations, registered social landlords and other third sector partners we are building the foundations for legislation in the forthcoming Housing Bill to help prevent homelessness.”
The new fund will be managed by Advice Direct Scotland. Its chief executive Andrew Bartlett said: “The new ‘ask and act’ provisions shift the focus from crisis intervention towards proactive prevention which could save many people from enduring the trauma of homelessness.
“We look forward to working with organisations across sectors in Scotland to help people at risk of homelessness.”
And Maeve McGoldrick, head of policy and communications for charity Crisis Scotland, also welcomed the new requirements and the fund.
She said: “Far too many people in Scotland are being forced to experience the trauma and indignity of homelessness in circumstances where, with the right help, it could have been prevented.
“These new legal duties, requiring public services to ask people at risk of homelessness about their housing situation, then act to offer support if needed, will help change that.
“But these plans are a world-first, and for the changes to be effective it’s vital we test out how they will work in practice, before the new protections are rolled out across the country.
“By running a series of pilots on the new homelessness prevention duties we can make sure those working in health, justice, education and beyond are fully prepared to play a greater role in ending homelessness in Scotland."