homelessness – Page 4 – The NEN

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.

Dogs Trust delivers Christmas hope to people experiencing homelessness across Scotland

The Christmas elves at Dogs Trust, the UK’s largest dog welfare charity, are busy getting ready to spread Christmas cheer across Scotland by delivering gifts to the canine companions of people experiencing homelessness.

Every Christmas, through its Together Through Homelessness scheme, Dogs Trust brings festive cheer to the dogs of people experiencing homelessness by delivering canine hampers of collars, leads, coats, treats and toys to dogs and their owners.

Dogs Trust has been running the unique service for over 30 years and as well as Christmas gifts, provides free veterinary treatment to dogs whose owners are experiencing or are at risk of homelessness.

 In recent months* Together Through Homelessness have seen an 82% rise in phone enquiries, as Crisis Homelessness Monitor 2023 shows that homelessness is on the rise in the UK.

This year, Together Through Homelessness will deliver almost 2,000 Christmas parcels to dogs and their owners at over 215 homelessness services across the UK. Services in Scotland that benefited from the scheme include Scottish Veterans Residences, Simon Community, All4Paws, The Salvation Army, Big Issue and Right There.

Richard Kerr of Streetwork at Simon Community Scotland, says: “The hampers from Dogs Trust benefit the people we are working with massively. It is a great idea and gives our clients and their dogs an experience that they might otherwise not have.

“The people we work with are generally very attached to their animals and create very strong bonds with their companions as in some cases they don’t have anyone in their lives that they can rely on for companionship. I know this support means a lot to our clients.”

Megan Evans, Together Through Homelessness Team Leader at Dogs Trust, explains:  “Everyone knows that the bond between a dog and its owner is a strong one but for people experiencing homelessness, the bond is often unbreakable. Christmas can be an especially difficult and lonely time for people in housing crisis, but the company of a canine friend can often help to ease some of this loneliness.”

“However, thanks to the generosity of Dogs Trust supporters, this year we’ll spread a little bit of Christmas cheer and help almost 2,000 dogs celebrate Christmas with their best friends. Not only that, but we will be able to continue to support them into the New Year and beyond so that more dogs can stay with their owners, regardless of their housing situation”.

As well as distributing Christmas hampers and offering free veterinary treatments Together Through Homelessness supports homelessness services to accept clients with dogs and helps them put in place practical guidelines.

To support Dogs Trust Together Through Homelessness and help dogs and their owners who are experiencing homelessness, visit www.dogstrust.org.uk/how-we-help/hope-project/donate

Homeless Project Scotland secure indoor premises for coldest winter months

Homeless Project Scotland have finally secured an indoor venue to bring their essential services and the people they help off the streets for the coldest months of winter on the day it was revealed 244 homeless people died on Scotland’s streets last year.

They have been campaigning for years for an indoor property and now finally have a secure, safe and warm building to house their life-saving work with the homeless. The prominent soup kitchen have operated since 2019 but were forced to move from their base on Argyll St after opposition from local businesses, to a new spot on the Clydeside – but safety concerns for staff meant they moved back last week.

Now they have a new home for the next three months thanks to Glasgow businessman Barry Cushley, who has handed over the basement of a building his company owns.

Charity boss Colin Macinnes is thrilled to finally be able to deliver a safe sanctuary for struggling people in Glasgow: ““We are over the moon, this is what we have been working towards since the very start – creating a safe space for the people who need it most.

“This is 100 per cent going to save lives, it will massively reduce the number of deaths on the streets this winter in Glasgow.

“A safe, warm place for us to work, to feed and look after people, is all we have wanted. And now we have it – we want to create a 24 hour welfare centre to provide shelter, warmth, hot food to homeless and vulnerable people.

“It’s the first of its kind in the UK and we plan to run this for three months to preserve life in the depths of winter.

“We have this building for the next three months initially, so the coldest, most dangerous time of the year.

“It means the world to us – Barry Cushley has done something no one else in the city has been willing to, he has turned over an area of a building to us to do whatever we need to do to help people.

“The figures are out today showing 244 people tragically died last year on the streets – and it is all the more poignant to see those numbers and know we can make a difference right away.”

The agreement has been drawn up and Colin will have the keys imminently so he and his team of volunteers can begin moving in and making the changes he wants. “It has happened so fast it is hard to believe – I had to phone back after the meeting and ask was it all real.

“It came out of the blue, Barry reached out to Nick at McChuills and next thing we were looking round the building and shaking hands.

“It’s an incredible thing and means so much. We just want to help people and we can now help so many more.”

Barry Cushley, who runs C&C Group, has signed over the basement of the premium building his company owns in Merchant City, for exclusive use by Homeless Project Scotland for the three months – and wants to continue helping beyond that.

Barry said, “It broke my heart to see what the team at Homeless Project Scotland are going through with moving to an area they felt unsafe and now going back to where they’d been chased from. I felt I had to do something.

“I am fortunate to be in a position where I can do something to help Colin and his team right now, to get their people and the families they help off the streets for the coldest months of the year.

“We have been able to give them full use of a private, warm, dry, safe and secure area of a building we own. We have agreed it’s initially for the next three months – Colin will have the keys next week and it’s theirs to operate and manage as they need it.

“We had a very powerful meeting with Colin and Nick from McChuills who I have to thank, he was our point of contact and he has helped us put the whole thing together. Colin is really inspirational and so is Nick. Colin knows what he needs and isn’t afraid to ask for it. I admire that.

“I’ve made mistakes in my life when I was a young idiot but I’m a different guy now and just want to help bring about good things for people who need it – I got a second chance and want to give that to others. It’s vital – everyone deserves a second hance.

“I really want to give something back to the city and this feels like an important thing – I HAD to do this. I couldn’t stand by and see stories of people not being safe when they’re doing such amazing work.

“This is just the beginning for Homeless Project Scotland and my team – there are a lot of ideas already about other ways we can maybe help out in the near future and way beyond that too. This is just the start, I promise.

“And if anyone else can help – please do. I’ve tried to support individuals before but it rarely works, sadly. If you want to really help, work with the people who know how to use that help, like Homeless Project Scotland.”

Give the Gift of Home this Christmas

Social Bite reveals ‘Nest House’

Social Bite reveals first-look of new ‘Nest House’ design in Edinburgh for Villages in Dundee and South Lanarkshire
‘Nest House’ unveiled as part of charity’s Festival of Kindness campaign which aims to provide 300,000 gifts, meals and essential items to homeless and vulnerable people this Christmas

Leading homelessness charity, Social Bite, has unveiled its new ‘Nest House’ prototype, as part of the launch of its fourth annual Festival of Kindness.

Kicking off the campaign in Edinburgh yesterday, Josh Littlejohn MBE, founder of Social Bite, unveiled the new Nest House design which will feature in two planned new villages – one soon to be announced in South Lanarkshire, and the other in the recently announced Recovery Village in Dundee.

Located in St Andrews Square in Scotland’s capital, the Nest House will give an insight into the plans for the new village in South Lanarkshire, as well as the state-of-the-art Recovery Village in Dundee, both planned to open in early 2025.

As part of the charity’s Festival of Kindness campaign, the public are being encouraged to ‘give the gift of home’ and can make a donation to the new Villages which put dignity and support at the core of recovery and people’s journey out of homelessness.

Social Bite’s Festival of Kindness campaign has run nationally every year for the past four years with the aim of providing 300,000 gifts, meals and other essential items to homeless and vulnerable people this Christmas.

Donations can be brought to the tree itself located outside Charing Cross Station on the Strand or made online, with a wish list of gifts published that homeless and vulnerable people need most at Christmas.

In addition, five ‘Trees of Kindness’ have been installed in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Aberdeen and London where donors can bring a physical gift which will all be distributed to homeless and vulnerable people in time for Christmas.

Donation stations will launch today (Saturday 18th November) in Edinburgh’s St Andrews Square. A donation station was also launched at Charing Cross station on The Strand in London yesterday.

Donations will be able to be made in other major cities this month from:

29^th November – Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow
30^th November – City Square, Dundee
1^st December – St. Nicholas Street, Aberdeen

For those who can’t make it along to the Festival of Kindness donation points, contributions can also be made online to the ‘Festival of Kindness’.

The charity has published a wish list of items and gifts that vulnerable people and those experiencing homelessness need most at this time of year. These include a warm pair of gloves, a hot water bottle and a torch, good quality socks and toys for children living in temporary accommodation to open on Christmas morning.

Donors can also buy a Christmas dinner, a gift, a pack of essential items and overnight emergency accommodation for £28.

With homelessness in Scotland reaching record levels, more children than ever living in temporary accommodation and rhetoric of ‘lifestyle choices’ of those experiencing homelessness making headlines, Social Bite is on an urgent mission to raise funds and donations for those who need it most, and is calling on big-hearted Scots to help them provide essential items and some much needed joy to those who need it most.

Josh Littlejohn MBE, founder of Social Bite, said: “This year we have seen an increase in homelessness in Scotland to record levels.

“From Covid, to the cost of living crisis, and now unfortunately, misleading commentary from some high-profiled politicians, those experiencing homelessness have been subject to the toughest few years we’ve seen; so once again we are asking the people of Scotland to join us in helping raise critical funds for those that need it most at Christmas.

“As well as donating towards Christmas dinners and gifts, this year we are also asking the public to give the gift of home by donating towards two new villages.

“The proposed new Villages will be amongst our most important projects to date and that’s why we wanted to give donors the option of helping us create these crucial facilities. We are thrilled to welcome the public to see our prototype house being displayed in St Andrews Square.

“We believe that everyone, no matter their circumstances should be treated with respect and dignity, which these homes reflect in their design.”