Highland launches new Homelessness Strategy
The Highland Council’s Housing and Social Work Committee approved a new homelessness strategy today (Wednesday). It aims to prevent homelessness, make sure that people experiencing homelessness spend shorter periods of time in temporary accommodation and that support is available to those who need it to help them manage their housing in future.
Of the 2,272 people applying to the Council as homeless in 2007/2008, nearly 40% were single people less than 25 years old, and around 30% were households with children under 16.
Most households had previously been living with family or friends (40%); many had previously been in private rented housing (18%); whilst 11% had been social rent tenants.
The most common reason for people applying as homeless is that they have been asked to leave by family or friends. This accounted for 1 in 4 applicants in 2007/08. Around 1 in 5 gave their reason as relationship breakdown/ dispute. Many (13%) were homeless due to action by their landlord – a large proportion due to arrears.
The strategy involves a wide range of actions- including:
• Improving information and advice to people at risk of loosing their homes. This will involve improving money advice to for people in rent arrears or at risk of mortgage repossession.
• Joint working with other agencies, for example to provide a planned approach for young people leaving care or people being discharged from hospital or released from prison.
• Home visits to young people to discuss the implications of leaving home.
• Developing models of specialist temporary accommodation with support and improving the opportunities for homeless people to access training and employment opportunities that will develop their life skills.
• Developing a specialist accommodation model with intensive family support for clients with complex needs who are difficult to engage.
Councillor Margaret Davidson, Chairman of the Council’s Housing and Social Work Committee said: “Since 2000, the number of households applying for homeless assistance has more than doubled. Over the same period, pressure on housing has grown and there continues to be a severe lack of affordable housing in the Highlands.
“The root cause of most homelessness is a shortage of affordable housing, and we are addressing that with partners through an ambitious affordable housing development programme in the Highlands. We are moving towards Scottish Government targets in terms of the priority we give to homeless households. We also know that simply providing housing is not enough in all cases. We therefore want to prioritise work to prevent people becoming homeless in the first place and to address some of the issues that make sustaining tenancies difficult for a minority of homeless people.”
“We have a good idea of who is vulnerable to homelessness and why people become homeless. This is going to be an incredible challenge for the Council and our partners but one that I am sure we will rise to. Implementing the actions set out in the strategy may not solve all of the problems we face, but it will take us another enormous step forward.”