Scotland ‘within touching distance’ of eradicating homelessness in 2012

Published on Wednesday 15 February 2012 12:53

Homelessness has fallen to its lowest level in a decade as the Scottish Government closes in on a flagship target to eradicate the problem in Scotland.

The country is now within “touching distance” of the goal, the government says, although opposition leaders warn that there is still some way to go.

Figures published yesterday show that there has been a doubling in the number of early notifications to local authorities of households at risk of homelessness due to eviction.

There were 23,796 homeless applications to local authorities between April and September 2011, a 20 per cent decrease compared with the same period the previous year. There were falls in 28 of Scotland’s 32 councils, with Aberdeen and the Borders both recording a fall of 56 per cent.

The government is aiming towards a homelessness target, set ten years ago, to ensure that by the end of 2012 all unintentionally homeless people will be entitled to settled accommodation.

Housing minister Keith Brown said: “These encouraging statistics show we are within touching distance of meeting the 2012 homelessness target. The dramatic decrease in applications is likely to be a consequence of changes in how local authorities help households who approach them for assistance.

“Over the past few years, councils have been developing services in which staff assist households to consider the range of options available to address their housing needs.”

Shelter Scotland director Graeme Brown said: “A 20 per cent reduction in homeless applications compared to this time last year is great news and I congratulate the majority of local authorities across Scotland who have made huge progress on homelessness.

“This success should not blind us to the scale of Scotland’s ongoing housing crisis.

“Nearly 50,000 people still presented as homeless in the last 12 months, so this progress needs to be a catalyst for even greater change.”

Mr Brown said local authorities should now focus on homelessness prevention while the Scottish Government should implement housing support provisions passed by the Scottish Parliament last year.

The homelessness target was a landmark policy of the inaugural Labour/Liberal Democrat administration in 2002.

Labour’s Elaine Murray said: “Scottish Labour is proud of the ground-breaking homelessness legislation it passed back in 2003, but, if the 2012 target is to be hit, the SNP government must step its efforts up a gear.

“We must not forget that people become homeless for all sorts of reasons and are among the most vulnerable people in our communities. I urge the SNP Government to pull out all the stops to make Scotland’s 2012 homelessness target a reality.”

Liberal Democrat housing spokesman Jim Hume said there is “no room for complacency”.

He added: “The Scottish Government must do all it can to meet this hugely important target by the end of this year.

“That’s why Liberal Democrats argued for more funds to build homes for rent in the Scottish budget. To reach these homeless targets and the desperate need for more homes in Scotland, we will continue to press the Scottish Government on this.”

Councils received about 4,000 notifications from creditors in each quarter in 2011 – double the rate in 2010.

However, repossession on the grounds of mortgage default was 56 per cent lower. This may be down to one particular court ruling in late 2010 involving Royal Bank of Scotland that saw lenders withdrawing repossession cases from the courts, in order to restart the process, so that cases could proceed as required by the judgment.

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Lachie Mhor

Friday, February 17, 2012 at 07:41 PM

This is of course another load of propoganda and lies from the Great Leader and his acolytes. He should take a walk round some of the streets in Glasgow and Edinburgh and perhaps his figures will not meet scrutiny.

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ATG73

Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 06:41 PM

Might make a really big difference also if we actually gave jobs to Scottish people before Eastern Europeans. Really, I dont understand why the English government agreed to let them all in when we already had serious unemployment issues.

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9

Hector the Lessor

Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 07:33 AM

#7 Tartancult. Right on the ball. I had my eldest grandchild who left home at twelve, lived on the streets and no doubt did the drugs he wanted to do, and is now looking for some idea on how to live in the future. Well he evidently now has accommodation and an income from the Welfare who class him as mentally disabled. What happened to the good Scottish, and may I add Jewish attitude, of staking your less desirable offspring on a mountain for the wild animals to eat. I feel it is time for the well established solutions to be resurrected.

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8

KINGFISHER1

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 10:52 PM

I agree with 3,and it is a technical point. It brings me back to banking practices,and to HMRC practices. I have had two glasses of Cava,so I will RESERVE AND REDACT my comments. The Homeless provisions have been checked,and I mark as PASS. However I still REFUSE the banking and insurance system.The reference is in AMOS,and I will not budge from that. A financial system which permits people to be evicted from their homes is NOT ACCEPTABLE.It is VERY TECHNICAL, AGREED RESERVED AND REDACTED COMMENTS AT FORMAL EL DORADO

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Tartancult

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 06:15 PM

#1 " And Metal Health Problems are the biggest factor " ---------------- If we take vitamins containing iron and zinc our metal health problems will disappear.

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Alan Craigie

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 11:20 AM

If a person refuses to work, or chooses to drink or do drugs instead of working they should be allowed to become homeless. By removing the necessity of working we strip people of dignity.

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Ancient Wisdom

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 09:12 AM

Which Scottish towns and cities don't have dozens of boarded up council houses?

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IanW

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 08:28 AM

Homelessnes will NEVER be eradicated regardless of what governments do. Don't they realise that some (a few) choose to be homeless because they do not wish to be 'trapped' in a society that they do not feel comfortable in.

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McNasty

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 07:38 AM

There are so many homes lying empty, perhaps that avenue might be explored? In a modern civilized society no one should be homeless.

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2

I AM THE OPERATOR OF A POCKET CALCULATOR

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 03:16 AM

Rufus is really taking this Rangers meltdown thing too heart. 2 days and he hasn't been here clicking refresh to post the first bit of drivel. He must be on a vigil at Copland road....has anyone seen a dafty in a Jimmy wig and John bull costume in glasgow?

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Charles Linskaill

Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 02:06 AM

This is the best news ever, No-One deserves to be Homeless, no matter their creed, breed, or no matter what they have done in their lives, And Metal Health Problems are the biggest factor of our unfortunate to be living in cardboard boxes in our streets,,, This time the Scottish Government have done very well in addressing this problem,,Well-Done!

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