Category: News

Scotland urged to put ‘housing justice’ at the heart of next election

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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 was launched 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.

Housing (Scotland) Bill set to cement homelessness prevention in law

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MSPs have passed the Housing (Scotland) Bill. This is a landmark moment for the many organisations that have been working for years to prevent homelessness – and more importantly, for people who have experienced or are at risk of homelessness.

The Bill’s prevention measures in Part 5, if resourced and delivered properly, will create a robust legal framework for preventing homelessness. Along with increasing housing supply, prevention is the key to bringing about positive change.

And we need that change, fast. Homelessness and rough sleeping are still rising, and record numbers of children are living in temporary accommodation, as shown in the recent homelessness statistics for 2024/25.

We have the legislation. Now we need to make sure it is implemented and resourced properly, otherwise people will continue to suffer harm and years of hard work by everyone involved in this process will count for nothing.

Why is this important?

Homelessness causes well documented and wide-ranging harm to individuals, communities and ultimately society. It’s about the mum and her kids stuck in temporary accommodation with lives on hold – often far from support networks, school and friends.

It’s about the people stuck in dire hotel and B&B rooms which no one would choose to live in and which cost councils staggering sums – in one area surpassing £100 million a year.

And it’s about the people who experience the deepest disadvantage through factors including poverty, discrimination and UK immigration policy – those in our communities who are most likely to sleep rough or risk other unsuitable options because of a lack of decent accommodation with access to all the support they need.

Preventing homelessness averts trauma, stigma and indignity. It makes communities safer. It reduces pressure on homelessness services by shifting the focus from crisis intervention to upstream prevention. And it reduces the significant knock-on costs homelessness brings to the door of NHS, mental health, addiction and justice services.

Ask and Act – developed through lived experience insight

The ‘Ask and Act’ proposal in Part 5 is a key part of the legislation. It widens responsibility for preventing homelessness beyond homelessness services to include a range of relevant bodies including social landlords, police, health services and social security. It’s a step towards making homelessness prevention everyone’s business.

Simply, it will require frontline staff to ask someone they are working with about their housing situation and act to help prevent them becoming homeless if a risk is identified. If implemented properly, this measure will reduce the flow of people to statutory services, which in many areas are under intolerable pressure because of the housing emergency.

All in for Change – a team with direct and frontline experience of homelessness, facilitated by Homeless Network Scotland in partnership with Cyrenians – played a crucial part in developing this measure through the Prevention Review Commission, working in tandem with the cross-sector Prevention Review Group. This is a proud moment for the Change Team and follows years of dedicated hard work. And it proves once again how integral the voices of lived experience are to getting change right.

Upstream prevention and protecting lives

The Bill’s measure to extend the time frame when someone is considered to be at threat of homelessness from two to six months is another vital element of the legislation, as are measures to prevent homelessness for people affected by domestic abuse, and measures to deliver support that matches the needs of people locally, a key driver of tenancy sustainment.

Scaling up Housing First for those who need it

Similarly, the Bill’s measures aimed at scaling up delivery of Housing First – a social home with wraparound support – are welcome. Housing First should be the first response for people whose homelessness is made worse by mental health, trauma and addiction. But Housing First currently only meets 9% of estimated need in Scotland despite very high tenancy sustainment rates (80%-90%).

Introducing the requirement for an annual report that monitors what is being done to expand provision is important, as is ensuring that Housing First is delivered consistently in line with international Housing First principles. This will reduce harm. And as with other prevention activity, it will reduce spending on other services including health, addictions and justice.

Making a good system work – for everyone

We have the evidence-backed policies to create a housing and homelessness system that puts people and their right to housing at the centre, with a focus on securing a settled home quickly and providing all the support an individual needs to sustain their tenancy.

Making this system of Rapid Rehousing work as intended depends not only on sufficient supply of social and affordable homes, but also on creating an effective suite of prevention tools that clarifies duties and responsibilities – which this legislation has put in place.

We will continue to work collectively to ensure the prevention measures are effectively implemented, including through the £5million pilot schemes to explore scaling up what works and unearth innovative ways to prevent homelessness and keep people in tenancies.

Prevention is pivotal as it tackles homelessness at its root, stopping the spiral of crisis before it overwhelms families and individuals. We believe last night’s vote brings this day closer.

Want to find out more?

Read the Bill as passed.

⏩ Get your free briefing on the Housing (Scotland) Bill – as passed – at Scotland’s Annual Homelessness Conference on 27 and 28 October at Perth Concert Hall. This will be useful for those working in wider sectors (‘relevant bodies’) as well as colleagues working in housing and homelessness. Information and conference booking.

Scottish Government data exposes life-limiting toll of the Housing Emergency

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Homelessness statistics released yesterday show that the life-limiting impact of the housing emergency on people in Scotland is deepening – and risks becoming the norm with a continued absence of the action needed to solve the problem.

Households in temporary accommodation hit a record 17,240 with a 6% rise in 12 months. More than 10,000 children, enough kids to fill a town, spend long periods of their young lives stuck in temporary accommodation.

The official Scottish Government statistics for the year to March 2025 showed the average number of days people spend in this limbo is 238 days – 386 if you’re a couple with a child.

34,067 households were assessed by councils as homeless, with 31,695 open homelessness cases – the highest on record. The increase in repeat homelessness also signals a deepening cycle of instability, with people unable to secure lasting solutions amid stretched services and a shortage of social and affordable homes.

Meanwhile, the number of people reporting they slept rough the night before applying for assistance rose 28% to 2,465. Glasgow now accounts for 43% of all rough sleeping – followed by Edinburgh (8%), Fife (7%), Aberdeen City (4%), Dundee and Highland (both 3%). We know from research and lived experience evidence how dangerous that desperate course of action is.

And people were not able to exercise their right to temporary accommodation in 16,485 instances – up 106% in one year. This all combines to paint a picture of people being failed at crisis points despite the best efforts of statutory services operating under severe pressure, and shows the reality of a broken system.

More homes and more support

Earlier this month the Cabinet Secretary for Housing Màiri McAllan unveiled measures to heal that system with a housing emergency action plan. While her proposals prioritise creating more social homes and boosting support for people worst affected by the emergency, they don’t go far enough.

Above all, we need more homes. The £4.9bn spend on affordable homes announced by the Cabinet Secretary is well short of the estimated £8.2bn cost of creating the required 15,693 homes each year from 2026-2031, set out in a report by Shelter Scotland, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland.

If we are to bring these numbers down, we also need to make sure everyone has access to the support they need, delivered by a joined-up system with people at the heart.

More resource for Housing First was welcome. But with an estimated 10% of demand being met today, we need this scaled up dramatically to support people whose homelessness is made worse by severe and multiple disadvantage. This will prevent more people having to sleep rough and ultimately save money for other services including the NHS.

And looking forward, it is crucial that the new homelessness prevention measures in the Housing Bill are properly resourced and delivered, to divert more people from crisis and ease pressure on services.

Homelessness in Scotland: 2024-25 full statistics

Cabinet Secretary Housing Emergency statement: What it means for homelessness

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We welcome measures announced today by the Cabinet Secretary for Housing to tackle the impact of the housing emergency on people across Scotland. 

It is right to focus first on addressing the impact of this solvable emergency on children’s wellbeing and health, on the most disadvantaged and excluded groups in society, and on people who face real peril for want of access to safe accommodation.

And it is right to provide more investment for homes and more acquisitions. Without the right level of spending on these national priorities, homelessness and rough sleeping will only get worse, at great cost to people, communities, and the public finances.

While £4.9billion for affordable housing over the next 4 years is significant – along with a commitment to multi-year funding projections – it falls well short of the £1.64billion annual investment that is needed to bring homes in reach for everyone, according to authoritative research released today by Shelter Scotland, the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations.

Rapid Rehousing and Housing First

We know Rapid Rehousing, including Housing First with wraparound support, is the right plan to reduce homelessness. Extending Rapid Rehousing Transition funding of £8million into 2026/27 will support councils to implement their Rapid Rehousing plans and provide the right housing options for everyone in their community.

A £1million uplift in Housing First funding this year can keep more people in tenancies, breaking the cycle of repeat homelessness and saving money for services people rely on when they become homeless, including the NHS, mental health, and justice.

Providing £3million for social landlords to acquire properties to deliver Housing First in targeted locations is a further positive step in scaling up Housing First, which currently meets just 9% of projected demand – a figure that has not changed from last year.

The next step must be to introduce longer-term funding arrangements and increase funding so Housing First can help more people. Local authorities and support providers are crying out for the certainty that multi-year settlements bring, for the benefit of tenants and frontline workers as well as their own vital operations.

Temporary accommodation

People who experience homelessness must have access to the same range of housing options as other members of the public. For some people, the private rented sector offers the right choice, in the right place at the right time. For that reason, investing up to £2million through the Scottish Government’s Discretionary Housing Payments scheme to support households in temporary accommodation to find settled homes in the private rented sector is also to be welcomed.

Increasing supply of good quality temporary accommodation through private sector leasing will, we hope, divert more people away from unsuitable and unsafe conditions – while also squeezing out providers who make millions by providing squalid accommodation. 

The Scottish Government can go further by creating a challenge fund to supply more good quality temporary accommodation delivered by the third sector and social landlords. Increasing supply of good quality temporary accommodation will be crucial, given the measures announced today to proactively ‘flip’ good quality temporary accommodation occupied by families with children into settled homes wherever possible. A positive measure mustn’t have a negative knock-on effect.

No rollback on rights

The Cabinet Secretary has today shown boldness and a welcome sense of urgency with her action plan. We appreciate her strong commitment to preserving existing housing rights, voiced in the chamber, and her demand that the Home Office properly fund and organise its asylum processes.

It is unrealistic to demand that the Cabinet Secretary solve the housing emergency in the remaining nine months of this parliament. But it is crucial that this momentum continues after the election in May. The next Scottish Government must build on this action, not least by stretching to meet the true cost of building the social and affordable homes we need.

Alongside that, the next government must also ensure the prevention measures in the Housing Bill are properly implemented – because the best way to tackle homelessness is by preventing it happening as early as possible.

Read the Cabinet Secretary’s full statement

Celebrate the Heart of Support: nominate an outstanding frontline worker

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All over Scotland, people working in frontline homelessness services go all out to make the difference for people they support. We often hear about them, and you will have too. 

An Associate of HNS described their experience of a trusted worker as having “that one person who sticks around and sticks up for you.” 

At Scotland’s annual homelessness conference, the Heart of Support Awards will honour and highlight great work being done by people who support people during the housing emergency. 

Why nominate?

Across the 2-day event in Perth on 27-28 October 2025, we will platform a diverse range of colleagues who go above and beyond every day for people they support – to represent and celebrate this key workforce in roles including caseworkers, advisors, support workers, housing officers, social workers, coaches, counsellors and more. 

The 6 nominees who are selected will receive an award engraved with their name, a £200 cash payment and VIP entry to the conference including meals and accommodation. 

And they will have the chance to tell delegates about their work – the successes, the challenges, why they do what they do. This will be captured in a short video showreel, coproduced with the winners to be presented at the conference.  

How we will select 

This year’s conference is titled It’s Personal: the human face of the housing emergency. Across 2 days the event themes are Safe, Well, Respected and In Control, exploring the real-world impact of the emergency on people and the solutions for a better future. 

The conference themes will guide the panel to select nominees that represent all parts of the country, across all sectors and in different types of frontline roles. We are keen to hear about those who champion new or impactful approaches that get alongside people to ensure they are: 


🧡 Safe: prioritising people’s immediate safety  

🧡 Well: supporting people’s health and wellbeing 

🧡 Respected: advocating for rights and redressing inequality  

🧡 In Control: helping to increase people’s agency and financial inclusion 
 

Here’s how to nominate 

Tell us in around 150 words how your nominee’s way of working makes the difference. It could be about their persistence, methods, the relationships they build, challenging how things are done, innovating – please know, it doesn’t have to be perfect. 

Please do make sure your colleague agrees to being nominated, can meet with us ahead to create a video – and is available to be celebrated at the conference in Perth. 

Deadline for nominations! For your important entry to be considered, please be sure to send it to us by Friday 19 Sept 2025. Just click the button for the short nomination form.

Nomination form