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HOMELESSNESS
AN ACTION PLAN FOR PREVENTION AND EFFECTIVE RESPONSE
REPORT FROM THE HOMELESSNESS TASK FORCE TO SCOTTISH MINISTERS
Introduction
- We were appointed by the Scottish Executive in August 1999 with the following
terms of reference:-
"To review the causes and nature of homelessness in Scotland; to examine
current practice in dealing with cases of homelessness; and to make recommendations
on how homelessness in Scotland can best be prevented and, where it does occur,
tackled effectively."
We have held thirty meetings between August 1999 and January 2002. This is
our second and final report. Our membership is listed at Appendix A.
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We take as our starting point the principle that everyone in Scotland should
have dry, warm, affordable and secure housing. Not only is this desirable
in itself, but good housing is also crucial to family life, physical and
mental health, child development, employability and the creation of sustainable
communities. The increase in homelessness over the last 25 years, and
the emergence of a significant rough sleeping problem, are unacceptable.
Our purpose is to achieve a step-reduction in the incidence of homelessness
in Scotland.
-
We regard it as important to define what we mean by homelessness. Some
500 people are thought to sleep rough at least once in every fortnight
in Scotland. More than 30,000 households are assessed as homeless every
year by local authorities under the homelessness legislation. But the problem
of homelessness goes wider than this. It extends to those who are living
in insecure or intolerable accommodation simply because they have nowhere
else to go, and to those who are threatened by homelessness even if they
do not yet come within the statutory definition. We set out our definition
of homelessness in Appendix B.
-
The housing dimension of homelessness is central. If homelessness is to
be prevented, and to be tackled effectively when it does occur, we need
to ensure that there is an adequate supply of reasonable quality, affordable
housing in places where people want to live. We also need to ensure that
other aspects of housing policy, including housing benefit policy, minimise
the risk of homelessness and help to tackle it effectively when it does
occur.
-
However, housing is not the only dimension which needs to be addressed.
In many instances homelessness is the result of wider needs which have not
been recognised, or have not been met effectively. People affected by homelessness
have diverse needs, characteristics and experiences. This means that a ‘one-size
fits all’ approach will not work. The action required to address the
needs of one household or individual at a particular point in time is unlikely
to be appropriate in other circumstances. A key theme of our recommendations
in this report is that all the varying needs of people affected by
homelessness must be assessed and addressed individually, effectively and
flexibly. If they are not, purely housing solutions are unlikely to be sustainable.
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Our first report, published in April 2000, focused on amendments to the
homelessness legislation. That report formed the basis for what has now
been enacted by the Scottish Parliament as Part 1 of the Housing (Scotland)
Act 2001 (the 2001 Act). In this report we make some further recommendations
for improving the legislative framework. These changes are important in
defining the rights of those affected by homelessness and the duties and
obligations which local authorities and others have towards them. But homelessness
will not be solved by legislation alone. We recognise the need to extend,
improve and co-ordinate the services available to those affected by homelessness,
and the even more critical need to take effective early action to prevent
homelessness. In this report we make a range of recommendations designed
to improve action both to prevent and to respond to homelessness.
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Our report is based on a fundamental review of the causes and nature of
homelessness in Scotland. We have commissioned 13 research projects
(summarised in Appendix C) and have been greatly assisted by the input
of those affected by homelessness and by experts in various disciplines.
Further details of our work and of our discussions can be found on the Scottish
Executive website.
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Homelessness will not be solved overnight or by single programme actions.
Progress will require determined, co-ordinated and focused action over a
period of years. It will require priority to be given to homelessness by
a range of public agencies, including those who may not currently see homelessness
as a particular pre-occupation. It will also require even greater efforts
from voluntary sector agencies who are already doing a great deal. Our action
plan seeks to achieve significant progress in reducing the incidence and
impact of homelessness over a 10-year period to 2012. Delivery will be a
critical indicator of whether or not the Executive’s aspirations for
social inclusion and social justice in Scotland can be realised.
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