More than 40 organisations call for intervention within Government’s first 100 days
MORE than 40 leading organisations have today urged the new Scottish Government to put joined up working at the heart of its response to the housing and homelessness emergency.
The Everyone Home Collective has welcomed the First Minister’s commitment to a cross-government approach, saying it presents a genuine opportunity to drive lasting progress on homelessness if backed by decisive action within the Government’s first 100 days.
In its expert advice, Protect, Scale, Shift, the coalition – which brings together frontline services, the national lived experience platform and academic partners – argues that sustained reductions in homelessness will only come through strong joined-up leadership nationally and locally, alongside action to tackle the root causes of poverty and Scotland’s chronic shortage of affordable housing.
The coalition, convened by Homeless Network Scotland, says housing justice must become a central priority for the new administration, with stronger accountability, faster delivery of social housing and better coordination between housing, health, social care and justice services.
The warning comes alongside recent polling commissioned by Everyone Home revealing more than a third (35%) of Scots fear they could lose their home within the next few years, rising sharply to almost half (49%) of all 18 to 24-year-olds.
It also found 61% of people were more likely to vote for a political party in the recent Scottish Parliamentary Election if they prioritised tackling homelessness over the next five years.
Maggie Brünjes, Chief Executive of Homeless Network Scotland said: “We strongly welcome the First Minister’s priority on a joined-up government. Too often, siloed services intensify disadvantage, widen inequality and drive-up public costs.
“By raising the floor for people facing the hardest challenges – with stable housing, adequate incomes and coordinated support – we raise the floor for everyone.
“Resolving record levels of homelessness requires tackling root causes at scale, not short-term fixes, reclassifying cases or gaming definitions to improve headline numbers. We need a binding commitment to sustainable, joined-up solutions.”
Campaigners warn that without a substantial increase in housing supply, wider efforts around homelessness prevention and rapid rehousing will continue to fall short.
As of September 2025, 18,092 households were living in temporary accommodation, including 10,480 children, exposing what campaigners say is a widening gap between Scotland’s homelessness ambitions and the reality facing families.
Ms Brünjes added: “More than 10,000 children growing up without a settled home is not a statistic that can simply be absorbed into the system. It is a warning sign that the current approach is failing too many people, despite Scotland having some of the strongest homelessness rights in the world.
“We are concerned that the enormous Social Justice and Housing portfolio has once again been assigned to a single Cabinet Secretary rather than a dedicated Housing Secretary. While the joined-up ambition is positive, the sheer size of the brief risks weakening focus on the housing and homelessness emergency.”
The Protect, Scale, Shift advice sets out clear priorities across housing supply, prevention, rapid rehousing and joined-up services, including:
- Delivery of at least 15,693 new social and affordable homes every year throughout the parliamentary term, backed by clear targets and accountability for the new More Homes Scotland agency.
- Stronger homelessness prevention through a public health approach and better alignment across housing, health, social care and justice.
- A renewed national commitment to Rapid Rehousing to reduce time spent in temporary accommodation and close the gap between policy ambition and lived reality.
- National expansion of Housing First and transformation of supported housing for people with the most complex needs.
- Robust cross-Government and cross-portfolio oversight to ensure genuinely joined-up working and accountability.
Ms Brünjes added: “Too much public money is spent responding to crisis after it has already happened. We know what works.
“The challenge now is closing the gap between Scotland’s progressive policies and the reality facing individuals and families. More homes, rapid rehousing and preventative, joined-up services offer the path to better lives and better value for public resources.”
The collective says the newly created More Homes Scotland agency could play a major role in reversing the crisis, but only if ministers attach clear targets and meaningful accountability to its work.
The advice briefing also calls for the return of a cross-ministerial oversight group in Parliament, mirrored by a cross-portfolio structure within Government, to ensure housing policy is properly aligned with wider public services.
Ms Brünjes said: “The next Government has a narrow window to demonstrate it understands the scale of this emergency.
“That means committing to more than 15,000 social and affordable homes each year, giving More Homes Scotland clear responsibilities it can be judged against and making sure housing, health, justice and social care are finally working in unison instead of in isolation.”
View the Advice Briefing: Protect, Scale, Shift.
