Scheme launched to help return more empty homes to active use
A new online portal has been launched to bring empty homeowners together with prospective buyers or developers with the aim of facilitating more properties to be used as homes again.
Covering the whole of Scotland, this builds on the success of local pilots, referred to as “matchmaker schemes”, which allow owners of empty homes to upload details of their properties to a website through which anyone, such as first time buyers, families, developers or local authorities, can make purchasing enquiries.
The portal is hosted by the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership and has been developed as part of a £2 million investment this year to recruit additional empty homes officers and fund initiatives that will accelerate the pace and numbers of empty homes that are brought back into use.
Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “If you have an empty home to sell, this new portal is for you.
“Making best use of existing housing stock is central to tackling the housing emergency. Bringing owners and buyers together is a great way of adding to the overall housing supply, be that for affordable housing or use on the private market and it complements our ambitious house building programme.
“We are already making progress in turning around empty properties. Over the past 15 years we have helped return almost 13,000 privately owned homes to use and last year we saw 2,066 homes brought back in a single year, the highest in a year to date.
“I would encourage anyone who has a home lying empty to use this new scheme and seek advice from the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership and their local council to bring their home back into use.”
Tahmina Nizam, Scottish Empty Homes Partnership National Manager, said: “Every home matters in our collective fight against the housing emergency, so we’re delighted to launch this brand-new matchmaker scheme.
“We know selling an empty home can be a daunting task; the matchmaker scheme is designed to make that process easier and to help get more homes back into productive use.
“We want anyone who owns an empty home to know that support is available, either from the network of dedicated local empty homes officers working in local authorities across the country or directly from the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership.
“No home was built to sit empty and it’s vital that we make the best possible use of the assets we already have. Every individual empty property could provide a safe and secure place for someone to call home, but collectively Scotland’s empty homes can make a huge contribution to ending the housing emergency.”
A new pilot aimed at preventing people from becoming homeless has officially been given the go-ahead in the Capital after the Council and partners were awarded funding from the Scottish Government.
The System Wide Approach to Prevention (SWAP) – ‘Ask and Act’ initiative will be piloted in Wester Hailes, providing earlier interventions and practical support to help people at risk of homelessness to remain in their homes.
The launch follows the recent passing of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 which places new legal duties on public bodies to ask about a person’s housing situation and take action to prevent homelessness before it happens.
Across Scotland, 15 projects are sharing £4 million through the Homelessness Prevention Pilot Fund, administered by Advice Direct Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government, to develop and test prevention pilots.
A team will now be created in the Capital which will include public and third-sector partners. They will be trialling new models of working to provide co-ordinated and timely support for individuals and households at risk of homelessness.
The ‘Ask’ and ‘Act’ duties will be embedded in everyday services provided by partners in the Wester Hailes area.
The services working in partnership with the Council to deliver these duties are NHS Lothian, Police Scotland, Prospect Community Housing, Social Security Scotland, Scottish Prison Service and Crisis.
This approach will allow them to identify what people need help earlier, offer support directly, and request further help and support via a single point of contact within the Council’s prevention services.
Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, Tim Pogson said: “This is fantastic news, being awarded just over £600k from a £4 million fund for the whole of Scotland is a tremendous endorsement of our proposal, and I’m grateful to the team who brought it together and partners for agreeing to be part of this.
“It will also help us boost our efforts to tackle the housing emergency facing the city. It’s exciting that work is already under way, and I’m confident we’ll see positive results in the new year.
“Preventing homelessness and supporting tenants before they reach crisis point is essential to ensuring as many people as possible have a secure home.
“Last year alone, our homelessness prevention services helped 2,622 households as part of our Local Housing Strategy, the city’s overarching strategy for housing and homelessness.”
Màiri McAllan, the Housing Secretary, Scottish Government, said: “We are determined to end homelessness – and the best way to do this is to prevent homelessness in the first place.
“This investment in prevention pilots will help us test and scale up innovative approaches to help people stay in their homes.
Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener Councillor Tim Pogson writes about homelessness services
As I embark on a new role as Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, I’m all too aware of the severe pressures facing the city.
We’re now two years on from declaring a housing emergency in the Capital and demand for safe, comfortable homes is as high as ever. Edinburgh has the lowest amount of social housing per head of population in Scotland with only 14% social housing compared to a national average of 23%.
Here, 80,000 residents live in relative poverty, including one in five children. There are around 6000 homeless households in Edinburgh being supported in temporary accommodation – approximately 11,500 individuals.
These figures are stark, and as we enter colder winter months the necessity to provide warm, accessible accommodation is particularly urgent. Preventing people from becoming homeless in the first place and helping tenants to avoid reaching crisis point is the best way to make sure as many people as possible have somewhere to call home.
I’ve been really impressed by the range of preventative work already being carried out by Council officers, the third sector and other partners to assist households on the verge of homelessness.
Last year, through homelessness prevention services we helped prevent homelessness for 2,622 households under the umbrella of the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan, the city’s comprehensive strategy to tackle and eradicate homelessness. The team works tirelessly to intervene early, supporting people to access settled accommodation as quickly as possible, to reduce the number of people sleeping rough and to create better outcomes for tenants.
Our Housing Emergency Action Plan (HEAP) sets out clear actions to reduce the number of households without settled accommodation and to ease the strain on those most affected by the crisis.
I’m pleased to say we’re making progress in meeting our targets and our continued work to increase affordable housing supply and provide vital support to those at risk of homelessness is beginning to make a real difference.
However, we know this challenge cannot be solved by one organisation alone. A city-wide response is essential. I call on partners across the city from housing associations and charities to community groups, businesses and public services to join us in this collective effort.
Grant funding is critical in the delivery of affordable homes. Whilst we welcome the additional monies that Edinburgh has received over the last few years from the Scottish Government, more is required to truly address the housing emergency. I will not hesitate in advocating to the Scottish Government for Edinburgh to receive both its fair share of affordable housing funding and the investment necessary to tackle its pressing housing needs.
Long term plans like our ambitious housebuilding programme, efforts to acquire new homes directly from providers and bringing empty homes back into use aim to increase our quality housing stock, minimising the need for temporary accommodation.
These kinds of developments give me real encouragement that, while the housing strain can seem bleak, we’re doing everything we can to find solutions and provide residents with the quality of life they deserve. I’m ready for that challenge and look forward to working closely with colleagues and partners across the city to take it on.
This article first appeared in Edinburgh Evening News
People with lived experience of homelessness are uniting with dozens of leading organisations to demand urgent action on Scotland’s worsening housing crisis.
Their joint manifesto will be launched today at Scotland’s Annual Homelessness Conference, hosted by Homeless Network Scotland, on 27 and 28 October in Perth.
It calls on all political parties to commit to a programme of housing justice that will ensure everyone in Scotland has a safe, secure place to call home.
The scale of the crisis has been laid bare in recent statistics, with more than 17,200 households currently trapped in temporary accommodation, a 6% increase in one year, including over 10,000 children.
Nearly 250,000 people are on waiting lists for a social home, and 40,688 households have applied to their local council for help with homelessness last year. On average, those in temporary accommodation wait 238 days for a settled home.
The call comes from members of Everyone Home, a collective of nearly 40 third and academic sector organisations focused on ending homelessness, and All In for Change, a platform that unites lived experience and practitioner insight of homelessness across Scotland to enable decision-makers to drive real change.
All in for Change said: “In the Change Team, we see every day how the housing emergency hurts people who are homeless and those trying to help them. Frontline workers do amazing work, but they’re trapped in a broken system with too little housing and support to fix it.
“Some of us have been homeless ourselves, so we know the reality first-hand. But we believe this can be made better for others, with real political commitment and funding being used more wisely.
“We’ve laid out clear expectations for party manifestos, and we’ll keep pushing to shield people from the worst of homelessness in this housing emergency.”
Set almost 18 months after Scotland’s housing emergency was formally declared, the manifesto outlines a practical, values-led approach to resolving a crisis that continues to deepen inequality and exclusion.
It sets out five priority actions for the next Scottish Government, under the banner of SCALE. It calls for the launch of a national ‘Big Build’ programme to dramatically increase the supply of social housing, with a target of nearly 16,000 new homes each year of the next parliament backed by at least £8.8bn.
The manifesto urges political leaders to coordinate support services more effectively, so that housing is fully integrated with health, social care and justice to ensure no-one falls through the cracks.
It demands that public funding decisions align with housing priorities, including the use of tax powers and long-term investment plans that can give frontline workers and those they support greater certainty.
It insists that housing rights must be protected and fully resourced, warning that too many local authorities are currently struggling to meet their legal obligations.
Finally, it calls for fast-track housing and support for groups facing systemic exclusion, including people affected by poverty, discrimination, trauma, gender-based violence and UK immigration policy.
Maggie Brünjes, chief executive, Homeless Network Scotland, said: “Scotland’s housing emergency is a plan gone wrong, driving homelessness and deepening inequality. To reverse this, we must invest in more social housing, higher incomes, proactive prevention and support that is fully integrated across health, housing, justice and social care.
“The Everyone Home collective manifesto is a plan to put that right and a call for Housing Justice. Combining first-hand, professional and academic insight, the manifesto outlines real-world measures to reduce inefficient spending, prevent the worst harm among the worst off, and scale solutions for a Scotland where everyone has a home.”
The manifesto launch will take place at Scotland’s Annual Homelessness Conference, this year titled ‘It’s Personal: the human face of the housing emergency’.
The two-day event will shine a light on the real-world, human impact of the crisis, through people with lived experience, advocates and experts sharing knowledge and practical ideas to deliver lasting change.
Helen Murdoch, Asst. Director of Strategic Operations & Development (Scotland) at conference delivery partner The Salvation Army, said: “This year’s conference takes place in the shadow of a housing and homelessness crisis that tests our compassion, our resources and our collective resolve.
“The demand for services that support people experiencing homelessness is far outstripping supply – that must change and change quickly. Conference is an opportunity to explore our role in bringing about that change and The Salvation Army is proud to be an event partner.
“It is also a time to look beyond the headlines and statistics, to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary courage and resilience of teams working in communities, the third sector, local authorities and religious bodies to support people experiencing homelessness.”
Keynote speakers include Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Màiri McAllan MSP, who will address the event, renowned children’s rights campaigner and author Baroness Floella Benjamin, and rising social justice advocate Eireann McAuley, named one of the Young Women’s Movement’s ‘30 under 30′.
Baroness Floella Benjamin OM DBE said: “Having a safe and secure home is the key building block for living a happy and fulfilling life, yet today that basic human need is being denied to too many people. The impact on them is heartbreaking.
“All it takes is the grit, perseverance and determination to face the challenges and to keep on pushing for positive change. There is no shortage of people willing to fight this fight and I support all those who are working to change people’s lives.
“When I address Scotland’s annual homelessness conference I hope to energise and inspire the audience, to bring them joy amid the struggle. I want to remind people that even though it sometimes doesn’t feel like it, the work they do every day can and does change lives. So never give up.”
The launch marks the start of a national conversation aimed at ensuring housing and homelessness are top-tier priorities ahead of the 2026 election.
Councillor Lezley Marion Cameron writes about the challenges facing Edinburgh, and the work being done to tackle them:
In Edinburgh, our population continues to grow at speed and for some years now, housing demand has been significantly outstripping supply.
Since declaring a Housing Emergency nearly two years ago, this Council, together with housing providers and partners across the sector, has continued to grapple with this crisis within statutory and policy frameworks, including the new Housing Bill, and resources available.
Eighty thousand Edinburgh residents live in relative poverty, comprising one in five children, and 5,500 of our households are without settled housing, living in temporary accommodation.
To tackle this, the Council’s approach focuses on prevention, early intervention and mitigation.
Central to preventing homelessness is making sure everyone has access to a safe, warm place to stay; and investing in help and support for those at risk of losing their homes.
In 2024, we helped prevent homelessness for 2,622 households. This work ranges from our Early Intervention team, who reach out to all households who contact homelessness services, to specialist advice and support provided by our Private Rented Sector team.
Where we have been unable to prevent individuals and families from losing their homes, we are working hard to provide suitable alternative accommodation through our Housing Emergency Action Plan (HEAP).
Our long-term plans to reduce the need for temporary accommodation and improve the quality and quantity of our housing stock include our ambitious housebuilding programme, efforts to acquire new homes directly from providers, bringing empty homes back into use, and investing in the retrofitting of existing housing stock.
This World Homeless Day, as Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, I am acutely aware of the power of work we all still need to do and the resources we need from Government to deliver meaningful increases in our housing supply so that every person and family in Edinburgh can be living in a warm, safe, energy efficient home.
£84m cash boost to help prevent homelessness and support families this winter and immediate help for children and families in temporary accommodation
New £84m cash boost to help prevent homelessness and support families this winter
Immediate help for children and families in temporary accommodation at heart of new package
Announced on World Homeless Day, the funding builds on the record £1 billion investment this year to end homelessness and rough sleeping
Thousands of people facing homelessness will be supported by a new £84 million cash injection to councils up and down the country – ahead of winter.
Children and families in temporary accommodation will be prioritised – with the funding to go towards helping families to cover the essentials like food, school travel and laundry. The new funding, which will support children to remain in education, will be announced on World Homeless Day (10 October).
It comes as record levels of households are in temporary accommodation, including nearly 170,000 children. Levels of rough sleeping have more than doubled since 2010.
Areas with the highest pressures, such as London, will be in line for the additional funding to tackle homelessness this year. This comes on top of the government’s almost £1 billion investment to tackle homelessness this year and includes the largest ever investment in prevention services, helping councils intervene early and stop homelessness before it happens.
The investment provides tailored services for those experiencing long-term rough sleeping – including mental health support, drug and alcohol treatment and sustainable accommodation – ensuring people get the help they need to rebuild their lives.
Housing Secretary, Steve Reed said: “Homelessness is a moral stain on our society. Growing numbers of people have been abandoned to sleep rough on the streets and children left in squalid, overcrowded conditions.
“This government will not stand idly by and allow that to continue. We will make different choices. That’s why we are investing £1 billion to give homeless people the security of a roof over their heads and get back on track to end homelessness for good.”
Yesterday’s investment supports delivery of the Plan for Change, in addition to:
£950 million to increase the supply of good temporary accommodation.
Abolishing ‘no fault’ evictions through the landmark Renters’ Rights Bill.
£39 billion investment to deliver the biggest increase in social and affordable housing in a generation.
Homelessness Minister, Alison McGovern said:“You can’t have a decent life without a decent home. Whether it’s rough sleeping or sofa surfing or, at its worst, children stuck in B&Bs, homelessness in the UK has been too high for too long.
“This has to stop. Through our Plan for Change, the UK will build homes and get help to those who need it to put a roof over their head.
“We’re providing extra cash now to address a crisis made over the past decade. Both the government’s £39bn to build social and affordable homes and the Child Poverty Strategy to come will tackle the root causes of this problem, but we need action now to stop homelessness getting any worse.”
Matt Downie, Chief Executive of Crisis, said: “This funding is very welcome, especially as winter approaches and with homelessness rising. More people are likely to face the prospect of sleeping on cold streets and need support urgently. More parents will be working out how to help their children do homework from cramped and draughty temporary accommodation.
“We know that targeted support can make a big difference and help people take their first steps out of homelessness.
“We hope this announcement marks another step towards an ambitious homelessness strategy. Alongside a concerted effort to build social housing at scale, and ensuring all parts of Government make their contribution to ending homelessness, we can create a safer and more prosperous future for people and families across the country.”
The £84m cash injection includes:
Nearly £70 million for the Rough Sleeping Prevention and Recovery Grant. This is flexible funding for 62 local authorities to prevent people sleeping rough and help them stay off the streets. This could mean strengthening local services on offer, partnering with charities and community organisations, providing sustainable accommodation to help people sleeping rough and specialist physical and mental health support workers and treatment.
Nearly £11 million to help families with children living in temporary accommodation access basic facilities like Wi-Fi, laundry, travel passes for school and uniform, and help pay for food and leisure activities. While the number of children and families living in B&Bs continues to fall under this government, more must be done to get those that need it into safe, secure homes. This funding will be directed to 61 areas with the highest numbers of children in temporary accommodation to make sure that they can have access to facilities they need and support with costs while they are there.
£3 million increase for the Rough Sleeping Drug and Alcohol Treatment element of the wider Drug and Alcohol Treatment, Recovery and Improvement Grant. This funding will be directed to 83 local authorities and a pan-London project, targeted at lifesaving support to people with drug or alcohol related issues who are sleeping rough and at risk of homelessness, including those with co-occurring mental health needs.
An uplift of £200,000 for the Voluntary, Community and Frontline Sector Grant which supports innovative faith and community-led initiatives such as night shelters to reduce the number of people experiencing repeat homelessness.
This funding is supporting the government’s Plan for Change to drive long-term improvements to health and education, ensuring both families and children can truly thrive and forms part of the government’s forthcoming homelessness and child poverty strategies.
World Homeless Day takes place every year on 10 October, raising awareness of the need to prevent and end homelessness and alleviate the suffering of those experiencing it. World Mental Health Day also takes place on 10 October every year – another important topic in homelessness and rough sleeping prevention.
Regional breakdown for total funding being allocated to local authorities is as follows:
London: £36.5m
South East: £9.6m
South West: £9.1m
East of England: £4m
East Midlands: £5.3m
West Midlands: £4.4m
North East: £1.5m
North West: £8.2m
Yorkshire & Humber: £5.2m
Total: £83.8m (to note, £200k is allocated to VCFS organisations and is therefore not included in the above regional breakdown as this is for local authority funding only)
The latest government figures show positive signs of fewer people needing help from the homelessness system across the last year. Between January and March 2025, 83,450 households were assessed as owed a duty to prevent or relieve homelessness, which is lower compared to the record high in the same period in 2024.
The number of households with children in B&B has continued to fall since June 2024 when it was 5,910 – at the end of March 2025 it was 3,870.
There is also a continued drop in households with children in B&Bs for more than the statutory 6 weeks – at the end of June 2024 there were 3,770 households compared to the end of March 2025 where there were 2,300.
Legislation to transform homelessness prevention and improve standards in rented housing has been passed by the Scottish Parliament.
The Housing (Scotland) Bill will place a duty on certain public bodies to prevent people from losing their homes by asking about their housing situation and taking action.
The Bill will also broaden Ministers’ powers to implement ‘Awaab’s Law’, which will ensure landlords promptly address issues that are hazardous to tenants’ health, starting with damp and mould.
The legal measure was named after Awaab Ishak who died in 2020 after being exposed to mould in his home in Rochdale in north west England. The law will now be implemented in Scotland’s rented sector from March 2026, subject to Parliament’s agreement.
Other measures in the Bill include giving Ministers the power to implement a system of long-term rent controls, keeping rent affordable for tenants.
Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “Passing the Housing (Scotland) Bill is a landmark moment for how we prevent homelessness in Scotland.
“Whilst we already have some of the strongest homelessness rights of any country, we will now go even further to a create a gold-standard homelessness prevention system.
“Passing this groundbreaking legislation, coupled with the Housing Emergency Action Plan published earlier this month, shows just how serious we are about tackling Scotland’s housing crisis.
“Families across Scotland will have the confidence that their rented home will be free from damp and mould as we take forward work to implement ‘Awaab’s Law’. We will now work at pace to lay regulations to implement these protections from March.
“Scotland has already led the way in protecting tenants and providing strong rights when people are homeless and now the Housing Bill will revolutionise homelessness prevention and ensure rents are kept affordable.”
Maeve McGoldrick, head of policy and communications for Crisis Scotland, said: “Today’s vote marks a landmark moment in Scotland’s journey towards ending homelessness.
“We already have strong rights in place for people experiencing homelessness, but as we see from our frontline services, we need to do far more to prevent people losing their home in the first place. That means allowing people entering a housing crisis to get help earlier, so they can get support before it is too late.
“At Crisis we have been calling for new protections to stop people being forced from their homes for years. These new changes, contained in the Housing Bill, hold the potential to create a truly world-leading homelessness system, where everyone has a safe, secure place to live.”
Campaigners Living Rent said: “MSPs voted to pass the Housing bill and with it, rent controls. This bill wouldn’t exist without the work of Living Rent members.
“It caps rent increases between tenancies, clamps down on disrepair, and strengthens joint tenancy rights.”
The Scottish Greens also welcomed the decision: “40 years ago Margaret Thatcher abolished rent controls in Scotland.
“The Scottish Parliament just passed a Bill introduced by the Scottish Greens, which will allow them once more! This will keep rents affordable and offer safety and stability to renters.”
Graham Crocket, National Estate Agency Director at Aberdein Considine, has reacted to the passing of the new Housing (Scotland) Bill 2025.
The Bill empowers local councils to designate ‘Rent Control Areas’, capping rent increases to inflation plus 1%, and introduces stricter eviction rules while mandating rent history disclosures.
Grahamsaid: “The implementation of the Housing (Scotland) Bill 2025 is a turning point for landlords, property buyers and the wider property market. While the government frames this Bill as a step towards fairness and affordability, the ripple effects could be profound.
“With rent controls, enhanced tenant protections and new transparency requirements becoming law, landlords and investors will need to carefully reassess their positions, while first-time buyers could be among those best placed to benefit.
“For landlords, especially those operating in high-demand urban areas, the Bill represents a tightening of margins and a loss of flexibility. The prospect of capped rent growth and longer notice periods may prompt a sell-off of rental housing stock, particularly for older flats and tenements. This shift could flood the second-hand market with properties previously held for investment.
“If this happens, first-time buyers could find themselves with more choice and negotiating power than before. In cities like Glasgow and Aberdeen, where affordability ratios are more favourable, the impact could be especially pronounced. Entry-level homes may see a softening in price, giving new buyers a foothold in markets that have long felt out of reach.
“The Bill’s full impact will depend on how councils implement rent control zones and how landlords respond. For now, the market is watching, and first-time buyers may be wise to do more than just watch.”
Aberdein Considine has produced a short city-by-city forecast on the expected impact of the Housing (Scotland) Bill:
Glasgow: With an average house price of £191,000 and strong rental demand, Glasgow is likely to see moderate investor exits. Flats in areas like Dennistoun and Southside may enter the market, softening prices and improving access for first-time buyers.
Edinburgh: Scotland’s capital faces a declared housing emergency and high property values. Rent controls could be rolled out aggressively, prompting landlord exits in Leith and Southside. However, strong demand may keep prices buoyant, limiting gains for new buyers.
Aberdeen: Long subdued by oil sector volatility, Aberdeen’s market is already cool. The bill may accelerate existing trends, with modest price declines and increased affordability for buyers seeking value.
Stirling: Affordable and well-connected, Stirling could attract buyers priced out of Glasgow and Edinburgh. Investor exits near the university and city centre may boost supply of housing stock, stabilising prices and enhancing accessibility.
Perth: With a quieter market and rural appeal, Perth may see slower changes. However, increased listings of older rental stock could gently ease prices, especially for flats and terraced homes.
Aberdein Considine is an award-winning law firm with 21 offices and more than 450 staff across Scotland and the north of England. The firm is also Scotland’s largest solicitor estate agent with a national network of high street branches, including in the key cities of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Perth and Stirling.
PLAN TO END CHLDREN LIVING IN UNSUITABLE ACCOMMODATION, SUPPORT VULNERABLE GROUPS AND BOOST INVESTMENT
Cabinet Secretary for Housing Màiri McAllan has published the Housing Emergency Action Plan to tackle the housing crisis.
The plan focuses on three key areas – ending children living in unsuitable accommodation, supporting the housing needs of vulnerable groups and supporting growth and investment in the housing sector.
In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, the Housing Secretary set out a number of key commitments, including:
A new commitment to invest up to £4.9 billion over the next four years, delivering around 36,000 affordable homes by 2029-30 and providing a home for up to 24,000 children.
Doubling investment in acquisitions this year to £80 million, which will help take between 600-800 children out of temporary accommodation.
Implement Awaab’s Law from March 2026, starting with damp and mould, subject to parliamentary approval, to ensure landlords promptly address issues hazardous to tenants.
A new £1 million national ‘fund to leave’ to provide financial support for up to 1,200 women and their children to leave an abusive partner.
Unlocking land for housing in rural areas by working with the Scottish National Investment Bank, landowners and public bodies
A new Ministerial direction to planning authorities.
Ms McAllan said: “Tackling the housing emergency will be a cornerstone in our efforts to achieve the Scottish Government’s key priority of eradicating child poverty. I am determined this action plan will deliver positive and lasting change.
“At the heart of my mission is ensuring children are not spending time in unsuitable accommodation or long periods in temporary accommodation; that the housing needs of vulnerable communities are met and that we create the optimum conditions for confidence and investment in Scotland’s housing sector.
“Our efforts so far since declaring a housing emergency have seen 2,700 families with children into a permanent home, up to December 2024. Our action plan will see tens of thousands more families have a place they can call home.
“Since I took up the role of Cabinet Secretary I have listened to calls from the sector for multi-year funding to give housebuilders more long-term certainty.
“Today I have committed to investing up to £4.9 billion in affordable homes over the next four years. This long-term certainty and increase in funding will support delivery of around 36,000 affordable homes and provide up to 24,000 children with a warm, safe home.
“We cannot tackle this emergency alone though and I need everyone from across the private and public sector to pull together and deliver this plan to ensure everyone in Scotland has access to a safe, warm and affordable home.”
Crisis Scotland’s Head of Policy and Communications Maeve McGoldrick said: “We welcome today’s announcement. Homelessness is the most acute form of poverty, and we see the damage it does through our frontline services every day.
“Investment in new housing will help prevent more people being forced from their homes, while the expansion of Housing First will provide a vital route out of homelessness for people who have been let down by services for too long.
“We can’t allow more people to be trapped in the limbo of the homelessness system– we need to act now to help build a Scotland where everyone has a safe, secure place to call home.”
Scottish Women’s Aid CEO Dr Marsha Scott said: “Scottish Women’s Aid warmly welcomes announcement of a roll-out of the original Fund to Leave pilots to the rest of Scotland.
“Every day we and our local Women’s Aid services see women and children struggling to get free of an abuser. The Fund to Leave offers a critical helping hand when women and children need it most.
‘Leaving’ is difficult and dangerous, and the Fund to Leave is such an important step to making leaving and staying free from an abuser a reality across Scotland.”
Right There works to prevent people becoming homeless and separated from their loved ones, and believes everyone deserves a safe place to call home.
Commenting on the plan, CEO, Janet Haugh said: “Scotland is in the midst of a national housing emergency which needs ambitious and robust action to reverse it.
“We are encouraged that today’s plan recognises the crisis our country is in, with over 53,000 people currently without a home, and over 10,000 children living in temporary accommodation.
“We welcome the focus on ending children’s time in unsuitable or temporary accommodation. Every child deserves a safe, stable place to call home – it is the foundation of wellbeing, learning and hope for the future.
“We know that a house alone is not enough. The right support around people – whether they are rebuilding after domestic abuse, facing poverty, or at risk of homelessness – is vital to turn housing into a home.
“We see every day the pressure on families and individuals waiting far too long in temporary accommodation. While progress is welcome, the reality is that thousands still need urgent solutions.
“We stand ready to play our part. Local organisations like Right There can be powerful delivery partners, bringing together housing, support and community. Sustainable investment and genuine collaboration will be critical.
“Housing is about more than bricks and mortar. It’s about fairness, dignity, and giving people the chance to thrive. The Housing Emergency Action Plan will only succeed if it holds true to those values.”
A fund for pilot projects to help people to stay in their homes has been launched by Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan.
Managed by Advice Direct Scotland, the £4 million fund will support organisations to pilot new ‘ask and act’ measures. These duties, as part of the Housing (Scotland) Bill currently being considered by the Scottish Parliament, will require bodies such as health boards, the police and prison service to take reasonable steps to prevent homelessness.
This Programme for Government commitment builds on an existing Scottish Government investment of £1 million from the homelessness prevention fund.
During her visit to West Granton Housing Co-operative in North Edinburgh Ms McAllan found out more about their ‘Get Settled’ project which supports 400 households who are homeless, or facing homelessness, across Edinburgh, Midlothian, East Lothian and Fife.
Housing Secretary Màiri McAllan said: “We are determined to end homelessness – and the best way to do this is to prevent homelessness in the first place. This investment in prevention pilots will help us test and scale up innovative approaches to help people stay in their homes.
“By taking action to prevent homelessness and reduce demand on the homelessness system, we can help ease the housing emergency.
“Projects such as West Granton Housing Co-operative’s ‘Get Settled’ demonstrates how targeted support can transform lives by not only helping people to find a home but supporting them to settle into their communities.
“By working with housing associations, registered social landlords and other third sector partners we are building the foundations for legislation in the forthcoming Housing Bill to help prevent homelessness.”
Chief executive of Advice Direct Scotland Andrew Bartlett said: “Advice Direct Scotland is proud to be at the centre of such a landmark moment for homelessness prevention.
“The new ‘ask and act’ provisions shift the focus from crisis intervention towards proactive prevention which could save many people from enduring the trauma of homelessness.
“We look forward to working with organisations across sectors in Scotland to help people at risk of homelessness.”
Maeve McGoldrick, head of policy and communications for Crisis Scotland, said: “Far too many people in Scotland are being forced to experience the trauma and indignity of homelessness in circumstances where, with the right help, it could have been prevented.
“These new legal duties, requiring public services to ask people at risk of homelessness about their housing situation, then act to offer support if needed, will help change that.
“But these plans are a world-first, and for the changes to be effective it’s vital we test out how they will work in practice, before the new protections are rolled out across the country. By running a series of pilots on the new homelessness prevention duties we can make sure those working in health, justice, education and beyond are fully prepared to play a greater role in ending homelessness in Scotland.”
The West Granton Housing Co-operative administers £260,000 in grant funding for Get Settled ARCHIE services via seven housing associations who are members of the Alliance of Registered Co-operatives and Housing Associations, Independent in Edinburgh (ARCHIE).
