homelessness – Page 13 – The NEN

Council Leader: ‘serious about tackling homelessness for good’

The support being provided to people facing homelessness in Edinburgh has been commended but we’ll need to work together to bring about long-term change, says Council Leader Adam McVey:

Back in late March, when it was announced that the country would be entering lockdown measures, we set about creating a dedicated team to co-ordinate our support to some of our most vulnerable people – our residents experiencing homelessness.

As part of urgent measures to protect those most at risk, we stepped up an Additional Accommodation Needs Team to co-ordinate the crucial task of increasing the amount of emergency temporary bed spaces we can access as a Council, so that no one need be left without a safe place to stay.

Within weeks, empty hotels were secured. Holiday lets were turned into homes for those who might otherwise end up rough sleeping. And importantly, all families who had been living in B&B style accommodation were safely moved into self-contained homes. We now have over 200 extra bed spaces and counting as a result of this work and we’re continuing to meet the need for our services.

This rapid response is testament to our City’s dedicated volunteers, workers from across the third sector and the Council’s team of homeless support officers. It has highlighted the incredible work this service and those of our partners provides day-in and day-out, working hard to help anyone in need.

Yet, this pandemic has also highlighted the very real challenge we’ve been working towards in Edinburgh when it comes to providing much-needed homes.

We’re a compact City but our population is still growing.

The property market is still one of the most expensive in the UK and losing properties which could be safe and warm homes to those without a place to stay to the short-term lets market is simply not sustainable.

A quarter of all homelessness cases in Edinburgh are linked to the private rented sector and our housing teams support people whose tenancies may be at risk to stay in their homes.

Part of their work to prevent people from becoming homeless has involved bringing forward a rent deposit guarantee scheme, to support people with the often expensive upfront costs of renting. It will be vitally important that we continue to encourage landlords to help people whose finances aren’t secure to keep their tenancies, as and when lockdown measures are eased.

We’re ready to work with the private rented sector in partnership though and to understand the very real financial challenges many tenants will face because of the outbreak in the months which lie ahead.

We’re asking landlords of residential properties previously run as short term lets in particular to lets us use their properties to give a home to our citizens who need them in exchange for a guaranteed rent.

When we’re able to, returning to construction to build new, high quality homes will remain a key priority for us too.

We’re building 20,000 affordable homes as well as investing £2bn in new Council homes over the next decade, but this takes time to deliver. In the meantime, we can help landlords to rent their properties to us through our Private Sector Leasing Scheme with Link Housing, which not only offers a solution for private landlords who are unable to receive rental income during the pandemic, but increases the number of homes available to people experiencing homelessness.

We’ve already increased the number of properties we let from the private sector, bringing in 100 extra homes, and I want this number to rise.

We’re serious about tackling homelessness for good.

We look forward to industry working with us to achieve that aim. Let’s work together on this unique opportunity to rebalance the market for the long-term by returning short-term lets to the purpose they were intended for – as homes.

Capital’s private landlords encouraged to help tackle homelessness

A City of Edinburgh Council scheme is assisting people and families in critical housing need and experiencing homelessness by providing a better alternative to other forms of temporary accommodation.

Private landlords and other property owners left with empty homes in Edinburgh due to coronavirus are being encouraged to provide housing for local people through the scheme.

With Private Sector Leasing (PSL), delivered by Link Group Ltd, landlords can lease their properties to the Council for up to five years with guaranteed rent, even if the property is empty through no fault of their own. Link is also looking to purchase empty homes from landlords or property owners, including those which have until now been used as short-term lets.

An extra 100 tenancies have been created from the beginning of lockdown until 8 May and the scheme is now expanding under a new contract with the Council, as agreed by Councillors in January. The scheme provides housing when people are in need, vastly reducing the need for temporary bed and breakfast accommodation.

City of Edinburgh Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We have a shortage of affordable housing in Edinburgh and we urgently need to increase our city’s supply of safe, warm and much-needed homes.

“As soon as it’s safe to do so, we’ll be progressing our ambitious plans to build 20,000 new homes in the coming years, but we also need to work together as a city on short-term solutions.

“This scheme offers a solution for private landlords who are unable to receive rental income during the pandemic, but more importantly for the city it increases the number of homes available to people experiencing homelessness. We’d love to see many of the properties that had been used as short term lets returning to their proper use as homes.

“The current crisis has enabled us to provide emergency shelter to people without a home in hotels and short-term lets – properties which we’d otherwise be unable to use. We need to continue this joint working to help our most vulnerable and increase the accommodation on offer in our City for residents in need.

“Many landlords will be struggling to make an income during the pandemic but our scheme with Link provides guaranteed rent to owners now and for years to come. For the thousands of properties, we know have been used as holiday lets, this is also a chance to rebalance the market and for owners to return these properties to their proper use as homes.”

Link Group commercial director, Colin Culross said: “During the coronavirus outbreak, many people are feeling the financial burden of empty homes that would otherwise be for sale or rent through a letting agent or Airbnb style holiday let.

“The PSL scheme is a welcome solution for Edinburgh landlords with buy to let mortgages currently seeking financial support or mortgage payment holidays due to a lack of rental income.

“More than 1,000 landlords are already receiving guaranteed rent through PSL, which has been operating successfully for over a decade. The scheme is now expanding to offer an ISO accredited maintenance service used for Link’s own properties for the past seven years, with excellent customer satisfaction and value for money.

“Both landlords and tenants benefit from the scheme thanks to the quality of Link’s PSL team and the financial support of the Council. I would urge any landlords or property owners to get in touch to find out how the scheme could help them, now or in the future.

A landlord with Link PSL, Mrs M said: “My flat became empty just after lockdown, I contacted Link PSL, who responded quickly and, whilst adhering to all Scottish Government precautions, we leased the flat. 

“The property is now tenanted, providing someone with a safe home.”

Another landlord, Ken, said: “Link’s PSL scheme is a godsend for landlords looking for trouble free management. I have half of my property portfolio on the scheme and this is the half I can most relax with.

“There are no voids, rents are paid three months in advance without fail and there are no issues regarding getting your property back at the end of the contract. Staff are professional, courteous and helpful.

“I have been a landlord for almost 20 years and can honestly say Link PSL has saved me through each property downturn.”

To find out more please visit www.linkhousing.org.uk/PSL or email psllandlordteam@linkgroup.org.uk

Old Waverley Hotel becomes a haven for city’s homeless

The city council has partnered with the national homelessness charity, Bethany Christian Trust, in providing further hotel accommodation and specialised support for people who would otherwise be sleeping rough.

Working together on a range of services, this latest initiative ensures single occupancy en-suite bedroom accommodation as an alternative venue for Bethany’s Care Shelter and provides additional temporary accommodation for the local authority.

Bethany is relocating its Care Shelter team of 14 professional support staff to the Old Waverley Hotel on the capital’s iconic Princes Street and our Council staff are working flexibly at short-notice to join the team during daytime hours to provide advice, support and positive move on options for guests in this new environment.

The project is dependent on the tremendous good will of hundreds of volunteers who also provide the fresh ingredients for the two course hot meals prepared in advance to serve at the hotel with current safe distancing measures. Providing a safe place to sleep, three meals a day and a range of support from experienced staff and multiple partner agencies including health, housing and advocacy support, the service will be a lifeline for many over the next three months.

Alasdair Bennett, Chief Executive of Bethany Christian Trust, said: “The Care Shelter has provided 10,000 bed spaces to 730 unique individuals over the last 200 nights, and we are relieved to now also be able to offer self-contained en-suite accommodation to men and women who have already suffered so much without having to be on the streets any longer.

“I am very grateful to the support of an anonymous trust who are providing the resources to extend the staffing into the Summer, the Council for their proactivity in procuring the hotel beds, the Scottish Government for supporting the initiative with significant additional bed purchases, and the Old Waverley Hotel team for stepping forward to make such a positive difference in saving lives.

“This means an amazing amount to the people we support and the next step is to turn this moment into permanently improved solutions for rough sleeping predicaments in our shared national homelessness response.

Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, Councillor Adam McVey, said: “We’ve been working with a number of hotels to provide us with suitable and safe accommodation to help us house anyone without a home. The response has been encouraging and we’ve now secured more than 200 bed spaces in hotels across the city and 66 additional private flats.

“The shelter operated by Bethany Christian Trust is an important refuge for people who might otherwise find themselves rough sleeping, for any number of reasons. These are some of our most vulnerable people and with the outbreak continuing, we’ve been partnering with Bethany to find an alternative place for the shelter they run.

“The Old Waverley Hotel is the ideal city centre spot and I’m grateful that they’ve partnered with us on this. Edinburgh is a city that pulls together in times of need and this is a perfect example of that attitude. Our thanks go to Bethany’s staff and volunteers, who will be on hand day and night at the new shelter to provide meals and a relaxed space for those in need during this challenging time.”

Bethany’s Care Shelter began as a two-week pilot over Christmas in Edinburgh in 1996. It has since grown to operate 32 weeks a year in response to need and is a lifeline for hundreds of people who would otherwise be sleeping outside.

To date, the Care Shelter has provided over 114,000 bed spaces in total, and since re-opening in September 2019 has supported over 680 people in moving on from needing to access the service again.

Ruth Longmuir, Bethany’s Care Shelter Manager said: “The partnership approach combined with the professional Care Shelter support staff, who work tirelessly and compassionately on behalf of others, results in a positive move on journey for our guests.

“Being able to offer a hotel facility at this time is a fantastic enhancement. We are indebted to all our church partners including Diadem our existing venue for being so adaptable in rising to the challenges of a new environment.”

One delighted new guest said: “What everyone’s done for us here is just a different world. The kindness in here is amazing. There is so much appreciation for this amongst us all tonight.”

The Old Waverley Hotel is a vibrant merger of Victorian charm and modern comfort providing traditional elegance and cosy, comfortable accommodation. Built in 1848 it is a familiar name on the Capital’s most famous street.

Leon Kiteley, General Manager, said: “We are very pleased to be able to work together in opening up this wonderful hotel as a short term initiative during the Covid-19 Pandemic to serve people in difficult circumstances.

“We hope that it will be a springboard for new opportunities and positive next steps for all our guests.”

Established in 1983, Bethany Christian Trust supports almost 7,000 people each year across Scotland. The charity’s services focus on Homelessness Prevention, Crisis Intervention and Housing with Support, alleviating the suffering and meeting the long term needs of homeless and vulnerable people in Scotland.

£500,000 Morrisons Foundation Fund offers Lifeline to Homeless

Morrisons Foundation has set aside a £500,000 fund over the next three months to help charities offer additional protection, services and support to the homeless as a result of Covid-19.

There are currently 320,00 homeless people in Briton and experts are warning more must be done to support the homeless and to avoid a spike in homelessness resulting from the pandemic’s economic impact.

The emergency funds are being provided as homeless people and charities face a crunch because:

There has been a 48% decline in voluntary income to charities since the onset of Covid-19
Many hotels have been forced to close, leaving some without accomodation
Some charities have seen a 20% reduction in staff due to self isolation and sickness
Charities have had to urgently source PPE equipment, food and everyday essentials.

Charities will be able to apply for emergency funding to pay for these costs.

David Potts, Chief Executive of Morrisons, said: “Morrisons is committed to helping the most vulnerable in our society.

“We know that the coronavirus outbreak presents a particular risk to the homeless and we want to do our bit to help. This new fund will help charities doing vital work to care for the homeless at this critical time.”

Nick Connolly, Managing Director of End Youth Homelessness, said: “Our member charities need cash to pay for staff, personal protective equipment, food and other essentials to a level they could not have possibly have envisaged a few months ago. We are so pleased this is being recognised.”

Charities will be able to apply for financial help with:

Outreach and support for rough sleepers – including the supply of food and healthcare essentials
Delivery of services in hostels and shelters – including the payment of additional staff, purchase of PPE equipment and provision of emergency accommodation
Information and advice – including the provision of health and wellbeing services and helplines.

Rough sleepers are particularly vulnerable to Covid-19 as they are more likely to have underlying health conditions and are less able to access basic sanitation.

Charities can apply online for grants of up to £10,000 at www.morrisonsfoundation.com and successful applications will be fast tracked for payment.

Dedicated team to co-ordinate city’s homeless support

• Hotels, self-contained flats and halls of residence could be used
• Care packages including food to be delivered

Plans have been put in place to protect people facing homelessness during the coronavirus outbreak in Edinburgh, thanks to the combined efforts of city council, public health, private and third sector workers.

As part of urgent measures to support those most at risk in the Capital, we’ve set up a dedicated team to co-ordinate support and take steps to increase the number of safe places for homeless people to stay, for the purposes of self-isolation.

Featuring officers from our homelessness, health and social care and procurement services, the new Additional Accommodation Needs Team will be responsible for co-ordinating crucial activity to step up the self-contained temporary accommodation we have available for those without a home.

This team is being supported by daily advice from colleagues within Public Health Scotland, which is greatly assisting with day-to-day decision making.

The continued delivery of care packages including food, alongside the use of bed spaces in vacant hotels, self-contained flats and University halls of residence, are among the measures being actively and urgently explored. This is alongside ongoing support for rough sleepers who we consider to be very vulnerable to the virus.

The team will build on work which has already been underway in Edinburgh to move families in shared temporary accommodation like B&Bs into self-contained places to live, and to keep Edinburgh’s homeless shelters and street-based outreach services open for as long as possible.

Council Leader Adam McVey said: “We are committed to doing all that we can during this crisis and we stand ready to support everyone who is or becomes homeless, in any way possible.

“We’ve put a plan in place that will help us ensure the safety of people experiencing homeless in the city, thanks to the incredible efforts of our housing officers and third sector partners who have been working nonstop to explore options for how we continue to care for those who need it most.

“We’ll be exploring all options to make sure our most vulnerable families and residents can still get the help they need while following the Scottish Government’s clear instructions.

“This is clearly a very challenging time for our teams and our city so I’m pleased we’ve had a very positive response from the private sector to our appeal for extra accommodation.

“I’m grateful too for the incredible sacrifice and dedication of Edinburgh’s key workers who continue to do their jobs, day and night, to keep our essential homelessness and health services running and our people protected, as far as they can.”

Depute Leader Cammy Day said: “The new team we’ve set up has an incredible responsibility and challenge ahead of them. They will constantly be checking the numbers of rooms we might need, working in the face of a national lockdown to prioritise our city’s most vulnerable people.

“They need to do this while factoring in the additional support needs many individuals who experience homeless will have.

“It’s not going to be easy but we are all in this together. Hotels and other organisations are already responding to our call and we’re urgently looking at how we join forces as a city at this very difficult time.”

Letters: Join Crisis’ Race to End Homelessness

Dear Editor

Across Scotland there are thousands of people currently living without a home – whether that’s in hostels or B&Bs, sofa-surfing with friends and family or living on our streets. That’s not something we, as a society, should accept as the norm.

Homelessness is not inevitable – and we can all do our part to end homelessness for good. At Crisis we provide direct support to people affected by homelessness, we campaign, and we fundraise so that we will one day be part of the change that helped end homelessness for good across Great Britain.

But to do that, we need your help.

In March, we will host the first ever Race to End Homelessness, a 5km or 10km walk or run around Edinburgh city centre to raise vital funds to help lift people out of homelessness through one-to-one support, in areas such as housing and employment.

Those that take part will take on the scenic route around the city, starting in Holyrood Park, heading around the foot of Arthur’s Seat, before climbing up Calton Hill and then heading back in to the city and ending at The Glasshouse, the prestigious hotel which has partnered with us for this event.

It’s just £20 to register, with a fundraising target of £50. Whether you’re a keen walker or runner, or if you simply fancy taking on a new challenge, why not sign up and help Crisis in its mission to end homelessness.

Yours sincerely

Grant Campbell

Director of Crisis Scotland

Ending Homelessness Action Plan ‘transforming services’

Efforts to eradicate homelessness will be stepped up in 2020 as all measures in the £50 million Ending Homelessness Action Plan are progressed.

Work to transform services and provide access to permanent, stable accommodation is already underway. This includes creating a new legal duty on public bodies to prevent homelessness and new legislation to prevent people facing homelessness living in unsuitable temporary accommodation for any longer than seven days.

The Scottish Government’s progress report shows that 39 out of 49 measures have been progressed in the first year of the action plan, with plans to start the remaining 10 this year.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “People facing homelessness in Scotland already have some of the strongest rights in the world. We are going even further and are determined to eradicate homelessness.

“Our report today shows significant progress has been made in the first year of our transition to a rapid rehousing approach, which prioritises permanent, settled accommodation as the first response. It also shows that our £50 million action plan is working to ensure the right support is in place for those who need it.

“The Housing First Pathfinder programme has seen 173 people with multiple, complex needs, such as mental health issues or drug and alcohol addiction, being given settled accommodation with the additional support they require since it began in April 2019.

“Our action plan also includes a commitment to tackling the causes of homelessness and changing the culture across the public sector. In 2020, we will work in partnership with local government, the third sector, people with lived experience of homelessness and frontline services to ensure our system does all it can to prevent homelessness – especially for those at higher risk, such as care leavers or survivors of domestic abuse.”

CEO of homelessness charity Crisis and Chair of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group Jon Sparkes said: “The Scottish Government has demonstrated in the first year of the action plan that it is determined to tackle and end homelessness. It is clearly following through on the commitments it made when the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group was created.

“There is no time to waste. Ending homelessness is urgent. It has a devastating impact on individuals and families, and is costly to society as a whole. It is going to take a concerted and lasting effort by the Scottish Government and many partner organisations to end it once and for all. We look forward to seeing urgent progress in the second year of the plan and beyond.”

Read the Ending Homelessness Together Action Plan Annual Report