homelessness – Page 2 – The NEN

Housing Bill published

Preventing homelessness and strengthening tenants’ rights

New legislation which aims to keep people in their homes and help prevent homelessness has been published.

The Housing (Scotland) Bill will introduce an ‘ask and act’ duty on social landlords and bodies, such as health boards and the police, to ask about a person’s housing situation and act to avoid them becoming homeless wherever possible.

It also reforms provision for people threatened with homelessness up to six months ahead and includes provisions for tenants experiencing domestic abuse.

The Bill will outline proposals for a New Deal for Tenants, a key part of the Bute House Agreement between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party.

Proposals include long term rent controls for private tenancies, new rights to keep pets, decorate rented homes and stronger protection against eviction.

Housing Minister Paul McLennan and Tenants’ Rights Minister Patrick Harvie will lead the Bill’s passage through Parliament.

Mr McLennan said: “Scotland already has the strongest rights in the UK for people who become homeless – but nobody should have to experience the trauma and disruption of losing their home.

“Early action, through the kinds of measures included in the Housing Bill, results in fewer people reaching the point of housing crisis. It also means people facing homelessness have more choice and control over where they live, helping them to maintain relationships in their community and stay in work.”

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Mr Harvie said: “A fairer, well-regulated rented sector is good for both tenants and landlords. Tenants benefit from improved conditions and security, while good responsible landlords will thrive when their good practice is recognised by regulation.

“Scotland has led the way across the UK in improving the experience of people who rent their homes and this reform has been at the same time as significant growth in the size of the private rented sector. So progressive reform can lead to better conditions and a healthy rented sector overall.

“I want to keep working with both tenants and landlords to achieve that goal.”

THE housing bill published today by the Scottish Government fails to address the systemic issues driving the housing emergency, Shelter Scotland has said.

The charity warned that there was no realistic prospect of councils being able to fulfil new statutory obligations given that local authorities are regularly failing to meet their existing legal duties.

The bill’s publication comes in the wake of figures which show a significant decline in the delivery of social homes, which Shelter Scotland says is essential in tackling the systemic issues driving the housing emergency.

Shelter Scotland Director, Alison Watson, said: “There is a growing consensus that Scotland is in the grip of a Housing Emergency. Already four local authorities have declared housing emergencies, with more expected to follow in the coming weeks.

“Today’s housing bill was an opportunity to address the causes of that emergency and end the scandal of 10,000 children trapped in temporary accommodation.

“What we need is urgent action to drive up the supply of social homes, invest in local services and stop to councils breaking existing homelessness laws.

“Instead, we have a Housing Bill that does none of that and risks diverting frontline staff from the task in hand. By proposing new additional duties on councils already failing to deliver existing laws, we run the risk of making the situation worse.

“It is time for Scottish Ministers to listen to what our communities are telling them – declare a housing emergency and bring forward a new plan to deliver the social homes we need.”

Responding to the Housing (Scotland) Act being published, Citizens Advice Scotland Housing spokesperson Aoife Deery said: “The pandemic and cost of living crisis underlined the need for better protections for tenants and more affordable housing. In many ways the market is simply broken and urgently needs repaired.

“The CAB network in Scotland gives out hundreds of thousands of pieces of advice a year on housing, and it was one of the top areas of crossover advice – where people seeking help with housing also needed help with something else, often social security, debt or energy bills. In fact a third of all single working age households contacting CABs do so for advice on housing.

“We welcome this once in a generation opportunity to improve the rented sector and shape a fairer system. We look forward to getting into the detail of the Bill, change needs to happen with both landlords and tenants involved, we will be contributing our evidence as this work moves forward”

Cyrenians welcomes the introduction of the Housing (Scotland) Bill to the Scottish Parliament today. Long awaited, the new prevention or ‘Ask and Act’ duties included within it have the power to reach people before they become homeless and get them the right help, much faster.

‘Ask and act’ forms the cornerstone of a wider set of reforms to homelessness legislation. If passed, the Bill will require public bodies – including healthcare and justice agencies to implement systems whereby people at risk of homelessness are easily identified and directed to the appropriate services before they reach crisis point.

These duties will implement recommendations from the Homelessness Prevention Task and Finish Group (co-chaired by Crisis and Cyrenians), published in August 2023 [click here to read the Group’s report].

The group drew on its collective knowledge of the housing sector, as well as the lived experience of people who were homeless, through the All in for Change programme.

Throughout the process, building up to the publication of the Housing Bill, Cyrenians has consistently argued for increased funding to resource new prevention duties. We will continue to advocate for the necessary resource that our public bodies and local authorities will need to make the promise of the Housing Bill possible.

Ewan Aitken, Chief Executive of Cyrenians, said: ““Scotland is in the grip of a housing crisis. Several local authorities have now formally declared a housing emergency as the numbers of people facing homelessness is reaching record levels.

“But we know from our work across 60 services in Edinburgh, the Borders, Falkirk and the Lothians, that in many cases homelessness can be stopped long before people reach crisis point.

“To do that we need to widen the scope of responsibility, giving people within public bodies the right training and resource to be able fulfil this role. We believe that this, a public health approach to homelessness, is key to tackling the housing crisis.

‘We are very pleased to see the plans for prevention duties within the Housing Bill, published today. This legislation has the potential to prevent homelessness in Scotland. However, to do that, it needs to be properly resourced.

“As a charity which tackles the causes and consequences of homelessness, we regularly work with people whose situation could have been prevented, if they had received help earlier. We urge the Scottish Government to ensure that these duties are properly funded so that the bill can live up to its potential.”

Cats Protection has welcomed the new Housing (Scotland) Bill, which will for the first time give renters the right to own a pet.

The charity’s Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Scotland, Alice Palombo, said: “This is a landmark day for renters in Scotland, who will finally be given the right to own a pet with an end to blanket ‘no-pet’ policies.

“We hope this new law will stop the misery faced by animal lovers who have been denied the chance to ever own a pet cat, simply because they rent rather than own their own home.

“People in rented housing pay significant amounts of their income every year on fees and rent, and it is only right they should be able to feel at home in that property. Pet ownership – whether it’s a cat or another companion animal – provides companionship to all sorts of people. Whether it’s older people at risk of loneliness or young families with children learning how to care for others, pets play a vital role in our lives.

“We’re particularly pleased to see the Bill introduces an obligation for local authority and social landlords to publish a policy relating to domestic abuse. Cats Protection operates a free fostering service for cat owners fleeing domestic abuse, but many victim-survivors can struggle to find cat-friendly housing. We hope that domestic abuse policies will include a commitment to ensuring victim-survivors can keep their pets when they settle into new housing.

“A survey by Cats Protection and Dogs Trust found a lack of sufficient pet-friendly rented housing in Scotland, with only 22% of Scottish landlords allowing pets. This puts a strain on rehoming charities, and landlord-related issues is one of the top reasons for cats coming into our care.”

The Housing (Scotland) Bill was informed by three public consultations and will now by scrutinised by the Scottish Parliament.

Report shows lack of strategic direction in the private rented sector is fuelling Scotland’s housing crisis

THE lack of a strategic, evidence based approach to the private rented sector (PRS) by the Scottish Government is impacting the effectiveness of the sector to assist with Scotland’s housing crisis. This is one of the key findings in the latest Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP) report by the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland (CIH Scotland) and Fife Council.

The sector report urges the Scottish Government to show leadership in ensuring all elements of Scotland’s housing market work together, effectively, to tackle the housing crisis. It calls on government to set a clear evidence based vision for the PRS, highlighting the vital role the PRS plays in addressing Scotland’s housing needs.

The Scottish Government’s latest homelessness statistics covering the period April to September 2023 show a continuing increase in homelessness levels with a 10 per cent increase in the number of open cases and an eight per cent increase in the number of households in temporary accommodation compared to the same period in the previous year.

Underlining the findings of the report Gavin Smith, chair of CIH Scotland said: “The private rented sector is a vital part of our housing infrastructure and has the potential to alleviate homelessness in Scotland.

“However, we’re currently seeing Scotland’s PRS contract, with 68 per cent of local authorities who took part in this research reporting an increase of private landlords leaving the market in their area and 47 per cent concerned about increasing levels of homelessness from the PRS.

“The reduction in supply, further amplifies the issue of demand with record levels of people living in temporary accommodation and building figures dropping. This report calls on the Scottish Government to acknowledge the PRS as a systemic part of Scotland’s housing infrastructure and implement an evidence and strategic based approach to its legislation and policy making in this area.”

The report highlights that the percentage of homeless households being housed in a private rented tenancy has steadily decreased each year since 2021.

Homes for Good – Scotland’s first social enterprise letting agency – are committed to creating secure quality homes for tenants and enabling landlords to successfully manage their investments.

Joey Lawrie, head of lettings and tenancy support at Homes for Good sets out why it is so important not just to provide a tenancy but to create beautiful spaces where tenants can feel at home.

“We deal with all types of people at Homes for Good, with the aim of providing safe, secure homes. In a recent survey, all the tenants we spoke with expressed that they felt safe and secure in their tenancy.

“This is mainly because we provide a supportive, open service working with tenants to resolve any issues that arise. We know from speaking with tenants that many people’s experience of the PRS is one of uncertainty.

“At Homes for Good, we know that doesn’t have to be the case and support the findings of the report, advocating for a plan to enable all of the private rented sector to be an effective part of Scotland’s housing solution.”

The report is the fourth and final in a series examining local authority approaches to tackling homelessness through Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans (RRTPs) first introduced at the end of 2018.

It follows the publication at the end of 2023 of the third report, which analysed the affordability of the PRS for local housing allowance recipients in Scotland and found 92 per cent of private rent was not affordable.

Additional reports in the series made the case for continuing to provide dedicated funding to tackle homelessness through RRTPs for the next five years and provided a monitoring framework for local authorities.

The report can be viewed in full: Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans: Improving access to the private rented sector

Netflix star Phil Rosenthal visits Social Bite coffee shop

Phil Rosenthal from hit Netflix show, Somebody Feed Phil, can be seen stopping by Social Bite’s Edinburgh coffee shop on Rose Street in the latest series which launched last night.

The coffee shop, which offers customers the chance to ‘pay it forward’ to help support people who are homeless or vulnerable, features on the show.

Members of the Social Bite team and Phil discuss the charity’s mission to help end homelessness as they enjoy some great coffee and baked goods available from the shop.

Mel Swan, Commercial and Operations Director of Social Bite, said: “Having a big star and foodie icon visit our Edinburgh coffee shop really helps share our mission with the world. We want to bring people together to end homelessness, and that can start with good food and a conversation.

“Phil really enjoyed our cakes and cookies, and hearing about what we do. We can also claim to have given him his first taste of our national drink, Irn-Bru – that’s one for the books!”

You can support Social Bite by donating at: https://www.social-bite.co.uk/get-involved/donate/

or you can use Phil’s link at: https://www.philrosenthalworld.com/charity

Image: (Back row from left to right) Aimee Latham, Louise Hutson, Babs Haig, Amanda Traill. (Front row from left to right) Colin Childs, Monica, Phil Rosenthal, Mel Swan

Ways to work together to ease Scotland’s ongoing housing crisis

Just before Scottish Ministers slashed Scotland’s affordable homes budget by 26 per cent, Glasgow last month (November 30) became the latest major local authority in Scotland to declare a “housing emergency”, following the lead of Edinburgh and citing “unprecedented pressures” facing the council’s services (writes RICCARDO GIOVANACCI).

While of course there is a political element to these dramatic gestures – Labour-led Edinburgh is blaming Holyrood and SNP-led Glasgow is pointing the finger at Westminster – the declarations are a sure sign that the housing market isn’t working and that something needs to be done.

New statistics just released (December 13) show that the country’s housing crisis is intensifying, with plummeting numbers of both new starts and completions. Starts were down 24%, meaning that the crisis will only become more acute in years to come.

In more pragmatic times, before the private rental sector became public enemy No 1 in the eyes of some of the country’s more radical politicians, private landlords would have stepped into this breach and filled the gap between supply and demand.

They would have done this by bringing properties to market which would have accommodated a fluid and flexible population of tenants at rents they could afford until they found homes of their own or longer-term social rentals which suited their needs.

Now, however, many of the landlords who might previously have provided this service are abandoning the market, driven out by increasingly punitive legislation, fewer tax breaks, rent controls and the mora attractive market of holiday let sites such as Airbnb.

Is this sea change factored in to the concept of a housing emergency in the City Chambers of our great cities? There is little evidence to suggest that it is. Instead, councillors, single-issue charities and NGOs focus exclusively on the perceived plight of tenants. There is a marked lack of balance in current political thinking.

There does not appear to be much in the way of appreciation that elements such as the cost of living, rents, running costs, disposable income and inflation impact on landlords as well as the people for whom they are providing a roof over their heads.

Tenants’ Rights Minister Patrick Harvie was told in April this year by delegates at the Scottish Property Federation that rent control legislation he introduced the previous year had led to investors pulling millions of pounds out of Scotland.

Despite such warnings, the word on the street is that the Scottish Government is considering making the temporary restriction imposed on rent increases to help with the cost of living into a permanent rent control.

It is all very well to criticise others for inaction or for incomprehension of the seriousness of the situation, but what can realistically be done to help alleviate this escalating crisis?

Here are five suggestions which might go some way to help:

The overall tax burden on landlords needs addressed. They are currently taxed full amount and there needs to be a reward to encourage further investment, since the activity is by no means risk-free. There is nothing at the moment withing the tax regime to encourage participants into the sector.

Landlords should be treated with respect, rather than the current disdain. They are responsible grown-ups who want happy tenants. Longer-term lets are in everybody’s interest.

There is no reason not to keep regulation as it is. Landlords have factored the current regime in. But upcoming legislation needs more balance, as it is too heavily weighted in favour of tenants at the moment.

Rent caps are not working and experts said they wouldn’t work. The Government and other interested parties should listen to advice from professionals when it is asked for.

Career advice for young people to consider the trades as a career to improve housing stock in long term.

These are simply suggestions, but the more the parties involved in Scotland’s housing market can work together, rather than against each other, the more likely it is that the current and future crises will ease.

Riccardo Giovanacci is Managing Director at Glasgow-based Rosevale Letting.

Ministers have no plan to arrest social housing decline, say Shelter Scotland

A leading housing and homelessness charity has claimed the Scottish Government has no plan to arrest the continued decline in social housing delivery.

Shelter Scotland made the claim last week in response to figures showing that social house building has slowed down significantly.

The numbers show the number of new social homes completed in the 12 months to September 2023 was down 2%, the number new social homes approved was down 18%, while the number of new homes started was down an alarming 29% compared to the year before.

Shelter Scotland Director, Alison Watson, said last week: “The alarming decline in the delivery of social homes shown in today’s figures reflects Scottish Government choices.

“Ministers can’t claim to be ignorant of what this means; it means that an already devastating housing emergency will get worse and continue to devastate lives.

“Local housing officers, charities, and the experts in its own working groups have repeatedly and clearly told the Scottish Government that more social homes are needed to effectively fight the housing emergency and reduce the numbers of people trapped in temporary accommodation, but their words have gone unheeded.

“Scottish Government choices made the decline shown in today’s figures grimly predictable.

“Unless we see something different in the budget the only possible conclusion we can reach is that the Scottish Government has no serious plan to tackle homelessness and end the housing emergency.”

Bank Boardroom set for Homeless Christmas Dinner

Royal Bank of Scotland is joining forces with Social Bite to host a Christmas dinner for people who’ve experienced homelessness. The bank will be opening the boardroom at St Andrew’s Square in Edinburgh and welcoming those Social Bite and the bank have supported this year.

It is part of the bank’s long-term support for the work Social Bite is doing to end homelessness. Since 2016, Royal Bank has supported Social Bite through donations, gifts-in-kind, and strategic help totalling over £1million.

Royal Bank employees have raised more than £100,000 through sponsored sleepouts, abseils and Christmas appeals.

Taking place on 19 December 2023, those attending include residents and staff from Social Bite’s Village in Edinburgh, run in partnership with Cyrenians to provide a supported community which helps people affected by homelessness to lead an independent life. Social Bite plans to open two new Villages in South Lanarkshire and Dundee over the next two years.

This Christmas, the bank is also supporting Social Bite’s Festival of Kindness which will provide meals, gifts and essentials for people who are homeless at Christmas and throughout the winter, alongside homes and jobs.

Josh Littlejohn MBE, Co-Founder of Social Bite, said: “We are so grateful for Royal Bank’s support.

“They have played a key part in a number of transformational projects helping people break the cycle of homelessness, and it is really special that they have created this Christmas experience for the residents of the Village.”

Judith Cruickshank, Chair of the Royal Bank of Scotland Board, said: “Building on our long-term support for Social Bite we are helping to make Christmas a little more enjoyable for some of the most vulnerable.”

HOMELESSNESS IN EDINBURGH: Charity CEO calls for urgent support in the run up to Christmas

Simon Community Scotland (SCS) figures show 38 people currently sleeping rough in Edinburgh each night
The charity handles over 500 requests for support at their Edinburgh hub each week
12 women are currently living in emergency accommodation
SCS urgently needs to raise £200,000 to help them provide safe places and support to people experiencing homelessness

Almost forty people could be sleeping rough across Edinburgh in the run up to Christmas according to Scotland’s largest provider of homeless support services, Simon Community Scotland (SCS).

The charity, known as Streetwork at Simon Community Scotland in Edinburgh, is currently responding to over 500 support requests per week at their Edinburgh Hub, which is open every day.

In Edinburgh, the charity is also supporting a dozen women who are experiencing homelessness by providing emergency accommodation. Around 30 people are currently in Simon Community Homes, and many more are supported through outreach services.

Simon Community’s emergency winter appeal ‘A Safe Place’ is aiming to raise £200,000 this year with funds directed straight to people being supported through their Holyrood Road Hub, SCS Homes, Streetreads Library, Outreach and Accommodation Services and Street Team.

Following the announcement that Edinburgh is now facing a housing emergency, and amid ongoing cost of living challenges, Simon Community Scotland has written an open letter to businesses around Edinburgh calling for support.

Lorraine McGrath, Chief Executive at Simon Community Scotland, said: “This week alone we are providing safe places and support to well over 500 people who find themselves homeless in Edinburgh. People who are tired, cold, on the streets or in temporary accommodation.

“The winter months are particularly hard and we’re doing all we can to help. But we need support from businesses across Edinburgh to allow us to keep people safe and supported this winter, through Christmas and beyond.

“We urgently need donations to our emergency winter appeal to cope with an increasing demand for our services. From employee fundraising, volunteering and charity partnerships, we’re keen to work with as many local businesses as possible.

“Scotland’s housing crisis is a problem which won’t be solved overnight. Our Street Teams and hub staff are on the frontline, delivering support to as many people as possible. We have seen an increase in the number of people sleeping rough and visiting our hubs. We urgently need support to help provide safe places and support and we promise that all donations will be put to immediate use.”

According to Scottish Government figures, Edinburgh saw an additional 723 homeless households between 1 April 2022 and 31 March 2023.

As of 31 March 2023, over 15,000 households were living in temporary accommodation in Scotland – 46% more than a decade before.

Edinburgh cinema fans’ festive chance to raise funds for the homeless

Christmas cinemagoers in Edinburgh get the chance to enjoy a new heart-warming animated short film this month and raise funds for the homeless.

The Scotsman Picturehouse on North Bridge, The Cameo Cinema in Home Street and the Dominion Cinema on Newbattle Terrace are among cinemas all over Scotland showing Scottish author Angela Proctor’s festive story Arthur’s Christmas Tale.

Angela, who writes under the name AH Proctor, initially crafted the story as a poem highlighting kindness and homelessness for schoolchildren doing a charity sleep-in.

The tale of a brave little dog defying a Scrooge-like misery guts who despises Christmas was so successful that she has now transformed it into a short film, Arthur’s Christmas Tale, to raise funds for Shelter Scotland.

The animation features a little pug, Arthur, who encounters cold-hearted Jack Frost as he watches over his homeless master, James, sleeping on cardboard in the snow. The little dog wins over the icy, stranger with an act of kindness demonstrating the true spirit of Christmas.

“I love Christmas, I’m a big kid at heart, although I’m not really interested in presents,” says Angela, also a successful businesswoman, mentor and mother.

“It’s family time I love and togetherness and spending time with loved ones is what is reflected in Arthur’s Christmas Tale. The little dog is happy because he’s with James whom he loves unconditionally. He feels sorry for Jack Frost because he’s all alone, so sorry in fact that he gives him the only possession he has in the whole world – a shiny white bone, so that Jack doesn’t feel so alone anymore.

“It’s a poignant message and I’m hoping it will resonate with cinemagoers, where it is being shown during trailers throughout December, and help raise much-needed funds for Shelter Scotland.”

Sharryn McKelvie, Shelter Scotland Senior Community Fundraising Area Manager said: “This is a fantastic initiative by Angela at a time of year that can be full of despair for those without a home.

“We hope that those lucky enough to enjoy quality time in the warmth of a cinema will think about others less fortunate and donate what they can to help make sure no one has to fight the threat of homelessness alone.

“Shelter Scotland exists to defend the right to a safe home and fight the devastating impact the housing emergency has on people and society. Shelter Scotland believes that home is everything.

“As of 31 March 2023, there were 15,039 households in temporary accommodation, 9,595 of them children, the highest number recorded. Between April 2022 and March 2023, another 32,242 households became homeless – the equivalent of a household losing their home every 16 minutes.”

Angela, from the East End of Glasgow, who is best known for her Thumble Tumble series of stories for children, was determined to support art in Scotland by ensuring that all those involved in creating the film came from small, aspiring Scottish companies. She worked with Glasgow-based independent animation studio Clubhouse Animations and StrangeWorx Productions.

Arthur’s Christmas Tale is being shown in independent cinemas from Inverness to Dumfries throughout this month. Visitors will be able to donate via the Shelter Scotland Giving Page or by donating cash to collection buckets at cinemas across Scotland.

Social Bite and itison celebrate 10 years of festive fundraising

Annual Christmas campaign kicks off to support people experiencing homelessness

Two of Scotland’s best known brands, Social Bite and itison, have joined forces for the 10^th year to launch their annual festive fundraising campaign. Asking the public to donate just £5 to buy Christmas dinner for someone who is homeless, the campaign has raised more than £3million over the past decade with 700,000 donations made.

This year, the campaign, which launches across itison channels today (Wednesday 6 December), will offer generous donors three options; contribute £5 to buy Christmas dinner for someone who is homeless, provide gifts for children who might not have a present to open on Christmas Day or make a donation to help build the first ever Social Bite Villages in Glasgow and Dundee, and give someone the gift of home.

Josh Littlejohn MBE, founder of Social Bite was joined by Oli Norman, founder and CEO of itison at the Social Bite Coffee Shop on Sauchiehall Street in Glasgow on launch day.

Josh said: “Over the past 10 years, itison customers have been some of our most loyal donors and we’re extremely grateful to them for their on-going support. Their donations have made a true difference to people experiencing homelessness.

“This year, is even more important as we ask for support for our planned Social Bite Villages in Dundee and just outside Glasgow, which will transform the lives of many.”

Oli Norman, founder and CEO of itison said: “When we first launched our partnership with Social Bite back in 2014, our goal was to help raise enough to provide 800 dinners for people who were experiencing homelessness.

“We sold 800 vouchers in the first hour and it’s quite phenomenal that we are now in our tenth year having donated over 750,000 meals so far.

“As the temperatures plummet outside, this is one the hardest and loneliest times of the year for people facing homelessness and we are calling on our members to dig deep to donate and help us spread the word of the vital work Social Bite provides at this time of the year.”

Once again, Social Bite coffee shops in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee will be opening their doors on Christmas Day to provide people who need it most with a Christmas meal plus support, warmth and a sense of safety and belonging.

The money raised from the itison appeal will go, not only to providing Christmas dinner with all the trimmings that day, but also on providing meals in 2024.

Christmas opening hours across the charity’s coffee shops will be Aberdeen, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 11am-4pm and Edinburgh and Glasgow Christmas Eve and Christmas Day 12pm – 4pm.

Donations can be made at itison’s website by visiting itison.com/donate.