ALMOST 500 homes are being made available to help rough sleepers off the streets in Scotland’s central belt. The properties, predicted to number about 475, will be available in Edinburgh, Glasgow and the other parts of the region.
The announcement came ahead of a mass sleepout in the capital tonight, organised by Social Bite, to help fund the construction of a mini village of homeless accommodation in the city.
Liam Gallagher, John Cleese and Rob Brydon are among those performing at the Sleep in the Park event, while Bob Geldof has said he will join those camping out in Princes Street Gardens.
About 275 permanent housing association and council properties will be provided to homeless people in Edinburgh through the EdIndex Partnership, while Wheatley Group has committed to making up to 200 homes available in Glasgow and the central belt.
A pilot scheme will see Social Bite providing support services under the “Housing First” model.
Josh Littlejohn, co-founder of Social Bite, said: “What’s happening here is a real game-changer and will allow us to collectively and collaboratively restructure the system.
“The Housing First model is statistically proven to be the single most effective homelessness intervention that we can do. It means that rather than making vulnerable homeless people live in the homelessness system, sleeping in hostels, the streets and B&Bs, we offer them a proper place to call home, and provide a wrap-around and well-resourced support package for them to make sure they sustain that tenancy.”
More than £2.9 million has already been raised by the sleepout, with more than 8000 people signed up to take part.
They include Communities Secretary Angela Constance and other senior Scottish Government figures.
Constance said: “Along with ministerial colleagues, I am delighted to be able to take part and support Social Bite’s sleepout. The Scottish Government is committed to eradicating rough sleeping. That is why we established our Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group, which Social Bite takes part in.
“We are already implementing their first recommendations to tackle rough sleeping this winter and that work now continues as we strive to end rough sleeping for good.
“The development of the Housing First model is already being delivered in areas of Scotland and has shown great results so far.”
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