The city council is supporting Shelter Scotland’s campaign to have the right to a decent home enshrined in Scots law. Continue reading Council supports Shelter Scotland’s ‘Are You With Us?’ housing campaign
Tag: homelessness
Christmas Meal provision in Edinburgh
Library to open on Christmas Day
Helping homeless and lonely people over the festive period Continue reading Library to open on Christmas Day
60,000 people join The World’s Big Sleep Out around the globe
The World’s Big Sleep Out kicked off in Hutt City, New Zealand on Saturday 7th December; Brisbane followed, then through Asia to Europe, including Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens, London’s Trafalgar Square; jumping across the pond to Times Square in New York before the grand finale at the iconic Rose Bowl Stadium in LA, totalling 52 cities globally. Continue reading 60,000 people join The World’s Big Sleep Out around the globe
Scotland’s senior faith leaders support The World’s Big Sleep Out
Senior faith leaders in Scotland have announced their support for The World’s Big Sleep Out and joined the movement to eradicate homelessness across the globe. Continue reading Scotland’s senior faith leaders support The World’s Big Sleep Out
Supporting homeless people … and their pets
Pet owners facing homelessness are set to benefit from better support finding a home which allows them to keep their animals. Continue reading Supporting homeless people … and their pets
Greater protection for care leavers welcomed
Measures on preventing homelessness.
Recommendations to improve support for care leavers at risk of homelessness have been welcomed by Housing Minister Kevin Stewart.
A working group, co-ordinated by the A Way Home Scotland coalition, has produced eight recommendations to make support for care leavers simpler and more consistent across Scotland.
A Way Home Scotland is a national coalition committed to ending youth homelessness in Scotland in ten years. The coalition was set-up and launched by the Rock Trust in 2017, and is funded by the Scottish Government.
It brings together organisations and professionals from across Scotland working in the fields of housing, homelessness, education, youth work, families, health and justice to create and implement plans to address youth homelessness in their localities.
Their report recommends:
• that existing legislation is better implemented for those with a legal duty of care to care leavers to help prevent them from experiencing homelessness at the point of leaving care and later
• that care leavers who experience homelessness are rapidly provided with support which is effectively tailored to their specific needs and circumstances
• that young people are prepared for and supported, with care and sensitivity, through the transition into adulthood
Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “This report provides an excellent set of recommendations that provides tangible guidance and solutions to the problems care leavers face finding and keeping a home.
“Young people leaving care are some of the most vulnerable people in our society and we should take all actions possible to prevent them from ever becoming homeless.
“It’s vital housing and children’s services work seamlessly with wider support services to ensure young people’s needs are met.
“We will ensure that we meet the ambitions set out in this report to improve young people’s housing outcomes.”
Tam Baillie, former Children and Young People Commissioner for Scotland and chair of the A Way Home Scotland Coalition, said: “No young person should be homeless and that particularly applies to care experienced young people for whom we have additional responsibilities with legal requirements.
“No parent wants their child to experience homelessness and so it should be for our children in care. We can and should deliver the very best start to their adult life and they have a right to expect we live up to our obligations. Time to make the step-change, here and now.”
Kate Polson from Rock Trust, which assists young people to avoid, survive and move on from homelessness, added: “Scotland has a history of progressive policy and legislation in relation to housing, homelessness and our care system. The recommendations in this report highlight how we implement all of this guidance to prevent young people from entering homelessness.
“The Rock Trust thanks all of the partners who joined us in the A Way Home coalition to write the report and drive forward our work to end youth homelessness in Scotland.”
Committee calls for compulsory sales to tackle blight of empty homes
A Holyrood Committee has called on the Scottish Government to fulfil its commitment and introduce compulsory sales orders to tackle the blight of empty homes. Continue reading Committee calls for compulsory sales to tackle blight of empty homes
Extra funding to tackle homelessness this winter
Homelessness is to be targeted with £164,000 in extra funding this winter. A range of programmes across Scotland will benefit, helping people especially during winter who are rough sleeping and often have backgrounds of significant trauma.
The funding is in addition to the significant amount of money which local authorities receive from the Scottish Government to support people experiencing homelessness. Continue reading Extra funding to tackle homelessness this winter
The World’s Big Sleep Out: ‘Largest charitable campaign in a generation’
- Celebrities and public figures including Will Smith, Dame Helen Mirren, Sir Chris Hoy and more unite to help fight global homelessness
- Largest charitable campaign in a generation
- 50 major sleep out events worldwide including London, New York, Edinburgh, Brighton, Newcastle, Cardiff, Dublin, Newport, Belfast, Chicago, Amsterdam, Manchester, Madrid and New Delhi
- 50,000 Participants
- Fundraising target of $50,000,000
On Saturday 7th December, the world will unite to help fight homelessness with what is thought to be the largest charitable fundraising campaign in a generation.
With an aim of raising $50,000,000, The World’s Big Sleep Out, spearheaded by Josh Littlejohn MBE, founder of social enterprise Social Bite, will take place in up to 50 locations around the world. Continue reading The World’s Big Sleep Out: ‘Largest charitable campaign in a generation’