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HOMELESSNESS MONITORING GROUP REPORT - MARCH 2008
SECTION 1: BACKGROUND
Introduction
1. The Homelessness Monitoring Group was formed in autumn 2007 by the Minister for Communities and Sport with the following revised remit:
- Assess progress against the five top-level outcomes for homeless people including, where relevant, progress against the Homelessness Task Force recommendations.
- Consider the implications for future progress and provide strategic advice on policy delivery to the Minister for Communities and Sport.
- Assess progress against the 2012 target and capacity for further progress.
- Report to Scottish Ministers in 2007/08 on these areas.
2. The five top-level outcomes are as set by the previous Homelessness Monitoring Group and reported on by local authorities through the current monitoring framework of local outcome agreements and progress reports. These are:
- No-one need sleep rough;
- Existing homelessness is made more visible;
- Sustainable resettlement is secured for people who become homeless;
- Fewer people become homeless in the first place; and
- The duration of homelessness is reduced.
3. Membership of the Group is attached at Annex A.
4. The content of this report is directly informed by local authorities' local outcome agreements and progress reports for 2006/07; national official homelessness and housing statistics; the findings of the ALACHO/Scottish Government/ COSLA 2012 Homelessness Support Project (referred to hereafter as the 2012 Homelessness Support Project); the findings of Communities Scotland's independent inspections programme, as exercised under regulatory powers in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001; alongside members' own knowledge and feedback from the organisations they represent. Where other specific research or analytical work has informed sections of the report this is highlighted in the text.
5. Given that it is now six years since the Homelessness Task Force's final report was published this report reflects on the current situation taking into account progress that has been made in that time to ensure good levels of services are provided to homeless people while also planning to meet future targets and responding to broader contextual change. The report focuses particularly on activity in 2006/07 and identifying the key challenges to be addressed in progressing the top-level outcomes and achieving the 2012 target.
6. In line with our remit, this report does not track progress against each and every Task Force recommendation but focuses on those directly relevant to the top-level outcomes and the 2012 target.
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