More than £5m to be spent on tackling homelessness

DUNDEE City Council is set to spend £5.5 million to prevent homelessness over the coming year after the number of people without permanent accommodation rocketed.

The continued multi-million-pound investment is part of the council’s budget.

It was reported in September that the council had experienced a 16% increase in people seeking temporary accommodation, with the total number of households increasing from about 300 in midMay to 420 by mid-August.

Neighbourhood services convener Anne Rendall said: “We work across the public and third sector to provide a variety of support for people finding themselves in a homeless situation.

“There is always more to do and we are determined to help change the system to deliver better outcomes for people.”

Through a combination of different accommodation and the newly-deployed Housing First model advocated by Social Bite entrepreneur John Littlejohn, the traditional response to homelessness is being “flipped on its head” according to the council.

Housing First prioritises the right to a home above the obligation to engage with housing support services or transitional housing arrangements first.

The Housing First model is designed to meet the specific needs of homeless individuals with often complex and interconnected support needs.

Rather than the focus being placed on ensuring someone is “tenancy ready” before giving them a permanent home, Housing First Dundee advocates giving someone a permanent, mainstream home first and then building the support around them to ensure they are best placed to keep it.

Ms Rendall added: “We are continually looking at ways of improving the system and providing safe and secure accommodation – there is no one-size-fits-all approach.

“This funding is important, just as the Housing First model brings something different to the table but it’s also about our ability to build more council houses.”

Between April 1 and December 31 last year, there were 1,098 applications made for homelessness assistance.

Councillor Anne Rendall