Investment key to tackling homelessness, says charity

Campaigners are calling on the Scottish and UK governments to make the “long-term investment” needed to bring an end to homelessness.

Homeless Action Scotland (HAS) made the plea in the run-up to Chancellor Philip Hammond’s Budget next week, while Scottish Finance Secretary Derek Mackay will outline his spending plans in December.

Organisation chief executive Gavin Yates said that action to tackle the problem was “at a crossroads”.

The Scottish Government has already announced funding of £50 million to help tackle the problem over five years, while a special action group is being established in a bid to cut rough sleeping.

Speaking ahead of the National Homelessness Conference in Glasgow, Mr Yates said: “Scotland is at a crossroads in terms of its willingness to tackle homelessness in all of its many forms.

“We welcome the Scottish Government’s commitment to tackling both rough sleeping and reform of temporary accommodation and we have been involved in discussions on both already.

“However, with both a UK budget and a Scottish budget to be announced before the end of year, we need to see long-term investment to make the changes we want to see to end homelessness.

“There needs to be a national consensus to drive the progress we all wish to see and to really achieve the result for the people we serve.”