Housing First Scotland
Housing First is normal, it’s fairer, it works – and we all benefit
@HFScotland
Housing First Scotland belongs to everyone who is helping Housing First become the first response for people whose homelessness is made harder by experiences such as trauma, addictions and mental health problems.
Housing First in action
Riverside Scotland’s Housing First for Families service is the first of its kind in the country – and has been so successful that people who run it are passionate in their desire to see the model rolled out across the country by other social landlords.
The service launched in 2021 as a Scottish Government funded pilot geared towards breaking the cycle of homelessness and addressing child poverty. But it was so effective that when the pilot ended in 2023 funding to continue was provided by the mainstream budget of Riverside Scotland and the roles of Housing First for Families Officers became permanent.
“If I could change one thing, I would go to other local authority services and say ‘this is how much you will save and reduce returns into your service through Housing First. This is how we can stave off crisis points for people accessing those services.'”
Fife Council lead officer for Housing Access and Advice John Ashford took time out to come to a Connect event in Stirling earlier this year, where he shared the local authority’s experiences of running Housing First.
In this blog John provides an expert view on the strategies that are working well in the area, and the challenges.
From 31 tenancies in 2018 to 318 today, Housing First has scaled up in Glasgow, providing homes with flexible support for people whose homelessness is complex and often tied up with issues including mental health and addiction.
A sample of 20 tenants shows that prior to their tenancies they made a combined 220 homelessness applications, some dating as far back as 1994 – Housing First clearly works to keep people facing overlapping disadvantage in tenancies.
Eleanor Lee, Principal Officer for Housing First at Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership, says the city has learned on the job and refined its processes over the last six years in the face of unprecedented pressures.
Housing First is helping a woman who struggled with addiction, trauma and physical abuse to maintain a tenancy for the first time and transform her life.
Maxine has been in her Dundee flat for four years following several tenancies that failed due to abandonment, non-payment of rent or anti-social behaviour.
During one tenancy she was cuckooed, attacked and hospitalised, and she had spells staying in a temporary hostel which caused her further physical and mental anguish.
