Homelessness in Scotland

Marion Gibbs

Scottish Government

Background

• Homelessness Task Force

• Homelessness Monitoring Group

• Legislation:– Housing (Scotland) Act 2001

• Temporary accommodation and advice and assistance to all homeless households

– Homelessness etc (Scotland) Act 2003• 2012 homelessness target

Context

• Budget – no direct budget – devolved to local authorities to prioritise

• £500,000 for housing options hubs one year)

• In 2009/10, around 50,000 homelessness assessments (1% of population)

• 40% of LA lets and 26% of housing association lets to homeless households

2012 Homelessness target

• All unintentionally homeless households will have the right to settled accommodation

• Removal of the “priority need” test

• 31 December 2012

Progress

• In 2009/10, 85% of all homelessness assessments regarded as being in priority need – an increase of 2% from previous year

• In 2006/07, the first year after the Ministerial statement, priority need assessments stood at 54%

Housing options and hubs

• Scottish Government/COSLA Joint 2012 Steering group

• Prevention of homelessness – development of housing options hubs

• All local authorities in Scotland in one of five regional hubs

• Partnership working, joint training, commissioning research

Contacts etc

• Marion.gibbs@scotland.gsi.gov.uk• 2012 SG/COSLA Joint Group:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/access/homeless/2012Target

• The hubs: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Built-Environment/Housing/access/homeless/HomelessnessPrevention