FIVE projects were announced yesterday that will aim to help hundreds of homeless people across five cities in Scotland off the streets and into a secure tenancy with support.
Funding is coming from Social Bite, with money raised through its Sleep in the Park events, and from the Merchants House of Glasgow.
The Housing First Scotland Fund was launched earlier this year and its first set of projects will be funded until 2021 across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Aberdeen and Dundee with the aim of supporting just over 200 people. The ultimate ambition of the programme is to support 800 people out of homelessness for good by giving them the safety and security to seize an opportunity to change their lives.
Up to 800 houses have been pledged by housing associations and councils. The Housing First programme will be delivered in partnership with Corra Foundation and the Homeless Network. Projects will also be supported through expert training in a new model of supporting vulnerable people, delivered by Turning Point Scotland. Social Bite founder Josh Littlejohn said: “It is fantastic to see the Housing First programme reach this stage of awarding funds to local homelessness charities so that they can deliver the comprehensive support that many vulnerable people need to sustain a tenancy and break the cycle of homelessness.
“It is a major milestone in the fight against homelessness and I hope it will make a massive difference to Scotland’s most excluded people, many of whom have suffered from homelessness for years. This programme was only made possible by the 8000 people who slept out for us last December. I would like to thank each and every one of them, and encourage people to join our Sleep in the Park events this year.”
Scottish Government Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “This is a significant step forward towards helping people with complex needs to move quickly into permanent homes with the support they need to sustain a tenancy.
“We have already committed up to £4m from the £50m Ending Homelessness Together Fund to support councils in the participating cities.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here