Homelessness a persistent scourge

If our authorities are sincere in their ambition to make this country a more equal place, they must redouble its efforts to end the scourge of homelessness.

Statistics released earlier this summer showed that the number of people in Scotland assessed as homeless or under threat of becoming homeless went down by 5 per cent. The direction of travel is welcome, but its pace is unacceptably slow.

That is why Shelter Scotland’s strongly worded criticism of national and local government’s response to this scandal is entirely justifiable. The charity has said the fact nearly 30,000 households across the country became homeless last year is a “national badge of shame.”

There will be many Scots who regard homelessness as a problem that afflicts others, but with escalating house prices and rental costs, increasing numbers of working families find themselves living on the breadline. All it takes is a slight change in their circumstances the safety and security their home provides can be removed. Shelter points out that more than 65,000 households approached local authorities for help.

At a national level, homelessness can and must be seen as a terrible symptom of more deep-rooted problems. At the heart of all of them is the ever widening gap between Scotland’s rich and poor.

The Scottish Government has said it is doing “everything it can” to make sure everyone has access to a warm and safe place to stay, but with such ignomonious statistics as presented by Shelter, it is clear that more should be done. It is time for a strategy that will embrace bold new ideas and solutions to a persistent problem.