Permanent homes are big help for vulnerable

A Scotland-wide “Housing First” scheme should be introduced to help tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, a Holyrood committee has said.

The housing model prioritises a person’s unconditional right to a permanent home without the need to engage with housing support services or several levels of temporary accommodation first.

The scheme, which has been piloted in some parts of Scotland, has been used effectively in Finland – the only country in Europe where homelessness has declined.

Its rollout across the country is one of a series of recommendations in a report published by the Local Government and Communities Committee.

The latest figures show councils received more than 34,800 applications for homelessness assistance in the year to September 2017.

Turning Point Scotland, one of the first organisations to implement the model in Scotland, said the initiative meant individuals do not have to show commitment to maintaining a tenancy or give up any of their addictions before they are given a permanent tenancy accompanied by the right support.

“In many cases, it was found that for those who had had problems with substance and alcohol misuse, their using reduced dramatically or stopped when they were given a secure tenancy and the right support,” the committee’s report states.

Convener Bob Doris said: “It was clear further action is needed. That’s why our committee has recommended that the Scottish Government learns from Finland and rolls out a Scottish version of Housing First.”

Bob Doris.