Move to turn empty shops into new homes

Empty shops and properties which are blighting Scotland’s town centres could be transformed into affordable housing thanks to a new £4 million fund.

The Town Centre Empty Homes Fund will provide grant and loan funding to help increase the supply of housing in Scotland’s urban and rural towns.

The Fund, which will open for bids shortly, will offer funding to regenerate both homes which have been lying empty for long periods of time, and to convert empty commercial spaces into residential accommodation. The properties will then be available for affordable rent or sale.

It comes on top of the work of the Shelter Scotland managed Empty Homes Partnership which recently had its funding doubled and received a three year extension, to help bring more private sector empty homes back into use.

Housing Minister Margaret Burgess announced details of the new Fund at the Shelter Scotland Homelessness Conference. She said:

“Making sure everyone has access to affordable homes where they can feel safe and warm, is a priority for the Scottish Government. But it’s not just about building new homes, we need to make better use of our existing housing stock and properties.

“It makes absolutely no sense for us to have more than 30,000 homes lying empty when homelessness still exists in Scotland.

“Empty shops and flats can be an eyesore in our communities, devaluing our properties and even encouraging anti-social behaviour.

“Bringing these empty properties back into use is a cost-effective way of increasing the supply of housing available to families across Scotland and it also aides community regeneration.

“By transforming derelict shops and flats into new homes, we will be able to inject some life back into our town centres and make them attractive places to live and work.”

Latest stats reveal fewer homeless Scots

Homeless applications down by over a third in five years

Fewer people in Scotland are becoming homeless according to official statistics published today by Scotland’s Chief Statistician. Housing Minister Margaret Burgess has welcomed the latest figures.

Scottish councils received around 9,100 applications for homelessness assistance during July to September 2014, three per cent lower than in the same period in 2013.

At 30 September 2014, there were just over 10,300 households in temporary accommodation – this figure was almost unchanged compared to one year earlier.

In addition to the fall in applications, the number assessed as homeless, or likely to become homeless within two months, fell by three per cent to around 7,400.

Where contact was maintained, four out of five individuals assessed as unintentionally homeless went on to secure settled accommodation such as council housing, housing association or private let, as an outcome. This proportion has remained stable for the past seven years.

In recent years, the focus has been on the housing options approach to homelessness prevention by local authorities and their partners.

Councils consider the range of housing options available to ensure the best outcomes for those that approach them for assistance. The Scottish Government supports this process by funding five regional housing options hubs.

Financial support is also provided to third sector organisations working to prevent homelessness, such as the recent awards made under the Housing Voluntary Grant Scheme.

Since 2008/9, homeless applications have fallen by 36 per cent.

Housing Minister Margaret Burgess said: “These latest statistics, which illustrate the continued falls in homelessness across Scotland, are to be welcomed. It is also encouraging that since 2008/9, homeless applications have fallen by 36 per cent.

“We are working closely with local authorities and their partners to prevent homelessness, increase the number of affordable homes and address the issue of empty homes.

“Councils have been developing services in which staff assist households to consider their range of housing options to address their housing needs in order to help prevent homelessness before it occurs.

“The Scottish Government’s Housing Voluntary Grant Scheme has also allowed third sector organisations, such as Age Scotland, Scottish Women’s Aid and Shelter Scotland, to develop projects that prevent homelessness.

“We are also investing over £1.7 billion to deliver 30,000 affordable homes during the lifetime of this Parliament, working with local authorities to build record numbers of council houses and have abolished the Right to Buy to protect up to 15,500 social homes from sale over the next ten years.”

New Year, new funding to tackle homelessness

Government announces £2.3 million to address housing issues

Organisations which help homeless and vulnerable people find homes and live independently will get a funding boost next year, Housing Minister Margaret Burgess has announced.

More than £2.3 million will be allocated to 32 new and existing projects which make it easier for older and disabled people to live independently, will improve access to housing for homeless people and will support refugee, asylum seekers and new migrant communities.

Projects to benefit from the Housing Voluntary Grant Scheme in 2015-16, include Housing Options Scotland which will receive £242,000 to meet increased demand for its advice services for disabled people, older people and veterans.

Shelter Housing Law Service will be awarded £183,868 to provide specialist legal expertise on housing issues while the Scottish Refugee Council has been granted £130,000 for its work helping refugees adapt to life in Scotland.

Mrs Burgess said: “It is heart-breaking that in a country as prosperous as Scotland some people do not have the support they need to help them live as independently as they can and fulfil their potential.

“I am pleased this £2.3 million fund will be split between organisations that are addressing these inequalities, and supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities.

“This Government is clear, we want to provide opportunities for people to flourish and we recognise that a lack of suitable housing can be a major barrier preventing them from achieving their full potential.

“Whether it’s through working with the elderly, veterans, young people or asylum seekers, each of these 32 projects is closing this inequality gap, and tackling prejudice and discrimination.”

Moira Bayne, the chief executive officer of Housing Options Scotland welcomed the funding support. She said: “In 2014 Housing Options Scotland was able to help over 400 disabled people, older people and armed forces veterans to find the Right House in the Right Place.

“None of this would have been possible without the financial support of the Scottish Government.

“Thanks to this funding we have been able to help a wide range of people including a visually impaired teenager in the Scottish Borders who has had his family home extended to maximise his independence and a young former RAF officer with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder who has now returned to live near her son in Morayshire.

“We are absolutely delighted with the funding we have been awarded for 2015. We are mindful of how privileged we are to be offered such support in such difficult times and we look forward to helping many more people in the coming year.”

The Glasgow Simon Community and Positive Steps are two projects that will receive funding for the first time in 2015.

Through £90,975 funding Positive Steps will give training to men who have a history of re-offending and homelessness.

Cathryn Mill, development officer with Positive Steps said:

“Funding through the Housing Voluntary Grant Scheme will allow Positive Steps to deliver and implement a significant test of change project.

“Dundee in particular suffers from high levels of reconviction rates that present issues related to homelessness.

“The proposed project will target short term persistent offending and the lack of access to secure accommodation. We will also offer targeted support to address offending behaviours.”

The following Edinburgh-based organisations will receive funding in 2015 -16:

Age Scotland £126,250

To provide information and advice to older people to help them maintain their independence.

Bethany Christian Trust £44,000

Funding for homelessness projects including literacy and numeracy, budgeting support, employment and volunteering, and street work.

CRISIS (project 1) £26,000

The project to help improve access to the Private Rented Sector for homeless people in Scotland.

CRISIS (project 2) £52,943

Tenancy support project which works with people in shared housing.

Housing Support Enabling Unit (HSEU) £120,640

Assisting providers in the voluntary, private and registered social landlord sectors.

Move On Ltd £25,000

Project helping young people at threat of homelessness through peer support.

Housing Options Scotland £242,000

Provides tailored housing advice to disabled people, older people and veterans.

SACRO £49,000

Dealing with neighbourhood conflict and promoting positive community relations.

Scottish Churches Housing Action (1) £57,000

Project supporting a range of services and activities including starter packs and befriending networks.

Scottish Churches Housing Action (2) £9,000

Prison leaver peer support project for HMP Edinburgh. Prisoners will be supported through housing, health, training and employment interviews following release.

Scottish Housing & Support Conference £11,000

Funding for annual conference for service users and providers of housing support services.

Scottish Women’s Aid £67,345

Project focusses on homelessness and prevention of homelessness for women who are victims of domestic abuse.

Homeless Action Scotland £164,000

Facilitates national homelessness networks and National Homelessness and Employability co-ordinator.

Shelter Housing Law Service £183,868

To provide access to specialist legal expertise and representation on housing issues across Scotland

Scottish Social Networks (Rock Trust) £30,721

To support the work of the Housing Option Hubs. In particular by raising awareness of the link between positive social networks and prevention of homelessness.

Venture Trust £60,437

Outward bound courses and wilderness training to improve the confidence of homeless young people to develop their independent living skills.

An Audioboom clip of the Housing Minister can be found here: https://audioboom.com/boos/2745068

Taking SHAPE: reducing the risk of homelessness

A new pilot scheme to reduce homelessness has been launched by the City of Edinburgh Council and voluntary sector partners .

Focusing on resolving and preventing homelessness, a range of specialist services will be delivered through a partnership with third sector organisations the Bethany Christian Trust, Edinburgh Cyrenian Trust, Foursquare and CHAI (Community Help and Advice Initiative). The partnership heralds the beginning of a new collaborative approach to supporting people in the Capital who are at risk of losing their homes.

The Council, providers and service users are working in partnership to rebalance housing support services and place more emphasis on prevention, through mentoring, befriending, group work and visits from housing support staff. This approach will help resolve some of the crises that lead to homelessness and also deliver initial savings of £400,000, with potential further savings in the future.

The Council’s Housing Leader, Councillor Cammy Day, said: “Taking early action is the best way to combat homelessness. It is vital that we act quickly so we can prevent more people from losing their homes and better protect their well-being.

“By working alongside our third sector partners, we can gain from their expertise and deliver the highest standard of support to those who need it across Edinburgh. This way we can tackle the root causes of homelessness and provide important advice on budgeting and tenancy issues, to build a better future for those at risk and help them to keep their homes.”

The pilot will provide:

Budgeting and debt advice (including rent, utility bills and fuel poverty)I
nformation about benefits, including changes due to welfare reform
Advice about tenancy issues and housing options
Links to employment, including volunteering, education and training
Help to avoid social isolation

People who are homeless and in temporary and insecure accommodation will also receive support to move into more sustainable accommodation, in both the public and private sectors.

Iain Gordon of SHAPE, the umbrella organisation representing the third sector partners, said: “Our hope is that this new way of working will help people who find themselves at risk of becoming homeless to be more secure in their homes, so that they can live active and productive lives.”

Step out for Fresh Start

Take strides for homelessness in Fresh Start charity fundraiser

Brush off your walking boots and take strides to raise money to help people who have been homeless in Edinburgh settle into their new homes.

Fresh Start, the Ferry Road Drive-based charity supporting people to make a home their own after a period of homelessness, is holding its annual sponsored walk on May 30.

The charity hopes to raise more than last year’s total – £7,200 – when its band of fundraisers walk eight miles through some of the most picturesque parts of Edinburgh.

And there is still time to dust off your walking boots and sign up to take part in the fundraiser.

The walk will start from the Jubilee Gardens in Stockbridge at 10am and finish at the charity’s base at Harrison Place where lunch will be served for the hungry walkers. On the way, participants will take in the sights of the Water of Leith, Union Canal and Harrison Park.

Keith Robertson, Fresh Start’s Managing Director, said: “Each year we manage to smash our previous years fundraising target and we hope that 2014’s sponsored walk will be no different. You don’t need to be an expert walker and you can take your time on what will hopefully be a lovely sunny day.”

He added: “All the money raised will help us to continue our vital work in supporting families and individuals who have been homeless to make their new house into a home.”

Fresh Start supports people in their new homes after a period of homelessness. The charity provides goods through its Starter Packs, which include basics to survive (bedding, curtains, crockery, etc). and practical support through its ‘Hit Squad’ service, where volunteers help people to decorate their new houses, tackling vulnerability and isolation.

Most recently, Fresh Start opened the doors to its ‘Food Station’ which is tackling health inequalities by giving access to refurbished cookers, running cooking classes, and distributing food packs and budgeting advice.

To register for the walk, call Fresh Start on 0131 476 7741 or email reception@freshstartweb.co.uk

Volunteering opportunities at Fresh Start

A local resettlement charity is looking for enthusiastic people to join its band of volunteers. Ferry Road Drive-based Fresh Start, which helps people previously homeless make a home for themselves, urgently needs people to join its Hit Squad and Gardening teams.

Keith Robertson, Managing Director at Fresh Start (pictured above with volunteer Caroline) said: “You don’t need to be an expert gardener or decorator – we are just looking for people with some basic skills who can work as part of a team and support vulnerable people to get back on their feet.”

Hit Squads work alongside new tenants to help them decorate their new house. Volunteers help prepare the rooms for decorating including cleaning, sanding, lining walls and painting the whole room. Last year 120 clients received support to decorate their new home through the Hit Squad service.

But while Hit Squads work alongside new tenants to help them decorate their new house, it is more than just a decorating service. Not only does it improve a client’s living space but also teaches new skills to help them establish and maintain a home and it also benefits people through positive social contact, helping to combat vulnerability and isolation

The charity is also looking for people to volunteer in its allotment where food grown such as vegetables, herbs and potatoes will be used in cookery classes at Fresh Start’s Food Station.

The Food Station service aims to tackle health inequalities amongst people who have been homeless by giving access to refurbished cookers, cooking classes, food packs and budgeting advice.

Keith Robertson added: “Both these projects are fundamental to Fresh Start’s work helping to combat vulnerability and isolation often experienced during periods of homelessness. Hit Squads support people to learn new skills that will enable them to maintain their home, while our cookery classes and gardening projects help people to learn basic cooking skills as well as enjoy being outdoors in the garden.”

To find out more about volunteering:

visit http://bit.ly/freshstartvolunteer

call Fresh Start on 0131 476 7741

or email enquiries@freshstartweb.org.uk

Let’s hear it for the girls!

Fresh Start honours volunteers’ community spirit

Hundreds of Edinburgh’s homeless households have been helped settle into their new homes thanks to generosity of local schoolchildren – who were recently honoured for their community spirit.

St George’s Lower School for Girls received a Community Volunteer Award from Edinburgh’s West pilton-based homelessness resettlement charity Fresh Start for its support in helping previously homeless families make a house a home.

Children from the school have collected items to go in Fresh Start’s Starter Packs for the last few years, providing invaluable support for the charity, which survives on donations to be able to make up the packs.

Every year, Fresh Start makes up and distributes around 9,000 packs, which provide the basics for new households to survive.

Keith Robertson, Managing Director, said: “The support of St George’s Lower School has meant hundreds of new households in Edinburgh have been able to make a house a home. These packs provide basics like bedding to keep warm at night, curtains to close the world out, crockery to eat dinner on. Without the kind of community spirit show by St George’s Lower School, we would struggle to continue to be able to provide the support we do.”

Head of Lower School Marjorie Hall said: “It’s been an honour to help provide goods for the packs – all the school children who have taken part have learnt a lot. They make houses to provide the goods in, which helps them to make the connection between being homeless and getting a house. It’s an important life lesson for them – that homelessness can happen to anyone.”

The school’s award was one of a number of awards, given out at the charity’s annual Volunteer Awards on Friday (November 8).

Every year Fresh Start volunteers, staff and directors nominate volunteers to get an award – Starter Pack Volunteer, Hit Squad Volunteer, Church Representative Volunteer, Community Volunteer and Corporate Volunteer.

Other award winners were:

Evelyn Scott from Colinton, who received an award for being an outstanding Starter Pack volunteer.
Tony Shephard from Abbeyhill, who received an award for being an outstanding Hit Squad volunteer. These volunteers help to decorate homes of Fresh Start clients.
Jack Simpson from Craiglockhart, who received an award for his work as a Church Representative.
The award for Corporate Volunteers went to Lloyds Banking Group.

Keith Robertson added: “At Fresh Start we depend on the support of our volunteers and the donations that come in, which is why we take a moment each year to honour those who help us so much.”

Shelter urges ten year plan to tackle homelessness

A new 10-year action plan to address homelessness prevention and crisis services must be put in place if Scotland wants to remain a world leader on the issue, according to Shelter Scotland.

The housing charity believes that an action plan will help Scotland to maintain focus and deliver the ongoing commitment made through the country’s landmark 2012 homelessness legislation – which gave every unintentionally homeless person the right to settled accommodation.

Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: “We now need to build a homelessness service that has the person at its heart and enables homeless people to make choices that are right for them”.

The call for a 10-year action plan comes ahead of Shelter Scotland’s annual conference: ‘Housing, homelessness, advice and prevention’, which will see experts focus on the impact of bad housing on health inequalities in Scotland, and other key priorities for the sector.

The charity believes the 10-year action plan must respond to current and future challenges for housing and homelessness advice services and set out the key objectives at national and local level. It should be built with the aim of delivering person-centred services which allow flexibility and choice, and lead to sustainable housing outcomes forall service users.

Last year there were 39,827 homelessness applications in Scotland with 10,471 families and individuals in temporary accommodation.

Graeme Brown said: “Scotland has the most progressive homelessness legislation in the world, but that doesn’t mean that homelessness has gone away. It still exists in all its various forms. Meeting the 2012 commitment was an important landmark but we now need to look forward to the next ten years to ensure that progress continues and we don’t take any backward steps.

“We now need to work in partnership and build a homelessness service that has the person at its heart and enables homeless people to make choices that are right for them. This is about people, not processes.”

He concluded: “We expect the coming years to be extremely challenging as a result of welfare reforms and the introduction of Universal Credit – which is set to bring even more disruption to people’s lives. While we hope there isn’t a rise in homelessness, we must be prepared for the challenges that undoubtedly lie ahead. A ten-year action plan would be the best place to start.”

Fresh Start gets down to business

Resettlement charity Fresh Start has welcomed it’s first ever Business Manager as the charity goes through a period of growth. Joyce Clark takes up the newly created role with the Pilton-based charity, which works to help people make a home for themselves.

Ms Clark comes from a business and marketing background, with her most recent role in the third sector at Sacro, the national community justice voluntary organisation.

The new Business Manager role was created to help the charity grow as demand for its services continues to rise. Fresh Start’s board of directors decided at the start of the recession to promote a programme of expansion which has helped them to meet some of that demand – but the charity is still unable to help all those who need it.

Fresh Start provides a range of services: a Starter Pack service to help people with the basics needed to set up a new home; a Hit Squad service to help people decorate their new home and provide social support; and a training and employability service for people who have been homeless through its social enterprise in PAT Testing.

Keith Robertson, Fresh Start’s Managing Director, said: “We are delighted to welcome Joyce to Fresh Start in this newly created role as we expand and grow. Fresh Start has already come far from its roots, based in one of the member’s garages, helping just a handful of people in Pilton. But we are growing faster than ever before and we’re delighted Joyce is starting to help steer the ship in the right direction.”

Business Manager Joyce Clark said: “Fresh Start is a place where real tangible results can be seen in helping people to turn their lives around, thanks to the right kinds of support. I’m delighted to work with such a committed organisation and team – and look forward to helping the charity continue to support people to have a fresh start in life and develop ways of meeting the growing demand.”

Happy birthday to North Edinburgh’s ‘strong women’!

Rowan Alba's Helen Carlin and Sue Evans — Rowan Alba’s Helen Carlin and Sue Evans

Rowan Alba’s Stramullion Service celebrates ten years at West Pilton Park

Rowan Alba chief executive Helen Carlin and project manager Sue Evans were joined by staff, supporters and service users past and present at a reception to celebrate the tenth birthday of the organisation’s homeless women’s unit in North Edinburgh last Friday. Local MP Mark Lazarowicz was among the guests who gathered to mark the important milestone at West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre.

Rowan Alba’s Stramullion Service in West Pilton was established in 2003 in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council to provide secure short-term supported accommodation for up to ten women and their children in individual flats. Stramullion works with women aged 16+, with and without children, who are homeless – this includes young people who are in transition (for example, leaving care), women whose families have broken down, and those involved in offending, or alcohol or drug misuse.

Stramullion staff provide advice and support to enable each woman to build the personal skills and resources they need – equipping them to move on from homelessness in a positive and healthy way. Each personal support plan depends on individual circumstances and need, and just some of the core services which many Stramullion clients need include:

Welfare and benefits advice
Budget and debt management
Life skills training and home management
Tenancy maintenance support
Resettlement and social activities
Advice, information and support to access local community services
Referral to specialist social work, health and counselling services
Help with applications and grants
Move on support when the time comes to move in to their own home
A follow-up service after re-settlement.

The Stramullion (an old Scots word for ‘strong woman’) service believes that accommodation, support, education and employment provide women with the best route off the streets and out of the misery caused by homelessness.

Speaking at the anniversary event, Rowan Alba CEO Helen Carlin said: “I’m really delighted to be celebrating ten years in partnership with City of Edinburgh Council and all our supporters. I’m especially pleased to see so many current and past service users turning out to celebrate with us.”

Stramullion project manager Sue Evans, who has been at West Pilton since day one, added: “This is a very special day for us and it’s great to see so many people here. It’s really brilliant!”