White House adviser set to speak up on homelessness

A WHITE House adviser is to speak at a summit on homelessness in Edinburgh next month.

Dr Dennis P Culhane, who has advised the US government and New York City, will address housing professionals at Shelter Scotland’s one-day Homelessness post-2012: Where next? conference on February 7.

The conference marks the final year before Scotland’s historic homelessness legislation comes into effect, giving every unintentionally homeless person the right to a home from December 31.

Dr Culhane said: “In some ways Scotland and the US share a similar vision in eradicating homelessness and that is reflected in the move to prevention, rather than cure. However, where homelessness cannot be prevented there must be an adequate safety net for those at risk of losing their homes. Investment in socially rented and affordable homes must be the number one priority.”