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HOMELESSNESS:
AN ACTION PLAN FOR PREVENTION AND EFFECTIVE RESPONSE
REPORT FROM THE HOMELESSNESS TASK FORCE TO SCOTTISH MINISTERS
Foreword
 I
am delighted to present the final report of the Homelessness Task Force and,
on behalf of the Executive, to endorse its recommendations. This report represents
the culmination of two and a half years of work by the Task Force and builds
upon the foundation laid by their initial report, published in April 2000. That
initial report had a major impact, resulting in the enactment of Part I of the
Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 which strengthened the legal rights of homeless
people, established a strategic framework for preventing and tackling homelessness
and created a regulatory regime for homelessness services.
This report looks to the long term, setting out a ten-year
programme of action. This is vital if we are to tackle homelessness in a strategic
and sustainable manner. However the Task Force has emphasised the need to act
quickly to counteract the severe hardship which many homeless people are currently
facing. The Executive has already taken steps to address the needs of some of
these people, through the Rough Sleepers Initiative, by funding alternatives
to the use of Bed & Breakfast as temporary accommodation for homeless families,
and by providing resources to support the implementation of the 2001 Act. But
we recognise there is more to do and we are keen to ensure that preventative
action is emphasised. I am confident that this report gives us a firm basis
on which to build a comprehensive response to homelessness.
This report makes clear that homelessness is not just a housing
problem. Wide ranging action, across a number of policy areas, is required if
we are to prevent homelessness and to tackle it effectively where it does occur.
We must, therefore, move forward in partnership — all sectors working together,
and with homeless people themselves, to achieve effective solutions. This may
require fundamental changes in practice and a more strategic use of resources.
I believe the Task Force itself has been a useful model in joint working and
hope that this approach can be replicated more widely in implementing this report.
The Executive is committed to meeting the needs of all homeless people,
taking account of their diverse circumstances and needs.
I would like to thank the members of the Task Force, my predecessor
Jackie Baillie, who also chaired the Task Force, and the many contributors who
have helped to shape this report.
IAIN GRAY, MSP
Chair, Homelessness Task Force
Minister for Social Justice
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