Tag: homelessness

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’

Cyrenians partner with Jamie Robson to raise social issues on the big screen

Cyrenians has partnered with award-winning actor, writer and producer Jamie Robson at Little Wing Film Festival to explore representation and empathy around social issues in film. Continue reading Cyrenians partner with Jamie Robson to raise social issues on the big screen

New legislation will reduce time spent in B&Bs and hostels

Anyone facing homelessness will spend no longer than a week in unsuitable accommodation like bed and breakfasts under new legislation.

The seven day limit on unsuitable temporary accommodation which currently covers families with children and pregnant women will now be extended to protect everyone at risk of homelessness.

Announcing the changes, which will come into effect by May 2021, Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “We know that people living in these unsuitable environments can for too long often lack cooking or washing facilities, and some have reported that they cannot have visits from family or friends.

“These experiences have a detrimental effect on people’s physical and mental wellbeing, preventing them from rebuilding their lives.

“While temporary accommodation can offer an important emergency safety net for anyone who finds themselves homeless, such as those fleeing domestic violence, it should be a purely temporary measure.

“In Scotland we are already world-leading in tackling homelessness, and now this new legislation, which is a UK first, will make sure that the time anyone spends in unsuitable temporary accommodation is as short as possible before moving to a more appropriate, permanent home.

“We recognise the importance of a settled home in supporting people to live their life with good health, wellbeing and a sense of community and belonging.

“That’s why we’re investing £32.5 million, which includes more than half of our £50 million Ending Homelessness Together Fund, to support local authorities to prioritise settled accommodation for all.”

Research published by Crisis last year gathered experiences of 74 people across Edinburgh, East Lothian, Glasgow, Midlothian, Aberdeenshire and Highland who have faced months in unsuitable temporary accommodation such as B&Bs.

It showed that these experiences damage people’s mental health and job prospects, entrenching their homelessness.

Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of homeless charity Crisis, said: “We strongly welcome the announcement that the Scottish Government will change the law so that people will no longer have to live in the most unsuitable forms of temporary accommodation for longer than seven days.

“This marks a major achievement for our Life in Limbo campaign, a three year project which has sought to put an end to lengthy and dehumanising stays in unsupported hostels, hotels and B&Bs.

“This decision is a recognition of the resolve of our clients to shine a light on the inhumane conditions they were experiencing and the determination to ensure no one else was subjected to these prolonged stays.

“Making sure that everyone has a home where they can begin to rebuild their lives benefits all of us. Once again Scotland has shown it is a world leader in tackling homelessness and this commitment is a major step forward towards it being the first nation in Great Britain to end homelessness for good.”

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Social Bite’s Wee Sleep Out returns – and it’s bigger and better

Acclaimed charity Social Bite is calling on all teachers, youth leaders, parents and guardians to enable the nation’s under 18s to take action and join their movement to end homelessness.

Social Bite has announced the launch of its second Wee Sleep Out – a programme for under 18s to join the charity’s movement to end homelessness. Continue reading Social Bite’s Wee Sleep Out returns – and it’s bigger and better

Ross Kemp: Living with Homelessness

Ross Kemp presents Living With … , a brand new four-part series on ITV in which he travels the country to meet people living with some of the biggest issues affecting Britain today.
Ross immerses himself in situations to gain a first-hand taste of the difficulties they face and highlight what is really going on, often unnoticed, under the nose of mainstream society.

Continue reading Ross Kemp: Living with Homelessness

Rapid Rehousing funding increased

An additional £9 million of funding will be provided to local authorities to prevent homelessness and help people into more permanent accommodation. The investment will increase the local authority funding being provided for Rapid Rehousing from £15 million to £24 million over three years.

This will help transform services so people facing homelessness can either immediately, or as quickly as possible, be placed into permanent, stable accommodation with the support they need.

The money is part of the Scottish Government’s £50 million Ending Homelessness Together fund.

Announcing the funding following a visit to an Aberdeenshire shared accommodation service, Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Temporary accommodation provides an important safety net in a crisis, but we know it is not the solution. 

“The evidence shows what most people need is a settled place to stay where they can rebuild their lives. Where additional support is required, it will be most effective when people are living in a stable home, in mainstream housing.

“This additional funding will help reduce time spent in temporary accommodation and get people experiencing homelessness into appropriate and sustainable housing as quickly as possible.”

Chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Communities Committee, Cllr Anne Stirling said: “We are pleased to see some additional funding coming forward to help us tackle homelessness.

“We are committed to ensuring the right mix of housing options across Aberdeenshire and to reducing poverty and inequality across our communities. Our shared accommodation model helps us to ensure there are temporary affordable housing options for those who need it most.”

COSLA Vice President Graham Houston said: “Tackling Homelessness is a key issue for Councils across Scotland. 

“We welcome the extra resource to help local authorities begin to move towards Rapid Rehousing.  We will continue to work in partnership with Scottish Government to ensure Councils have the resources needed.”