Document Author: Scottish Government

Housing to 2040 (2021)

Housing to 2040 sets out a vision for housing in Scotland to 2040 and a route map to get there. It aims to deliver our ambition for everyone to have a safe, good quality and affordable home that meets their needs in the place they want to be.

“Housing to 2040, published in March 2021, is Scotland’s first long-term national housing strategy with a vision for what we want housing to look like and how it will be provided to the people of Scotland, no matter where they live and what point in their life they are at. We want to ensure housing in 2040 will support people to live in the homes they want to live in which are affordable and meet their needs.  We recognise that we cannot deliver the ambitions in Housing to 2040 alone and we will work with local authorities, housing providers, landlords and the construction and house building sectors to do this.”

Read Housing to 2040 and the supporting collection of documents. (external link Scottish Government)

Parliamentary Inquiry on Homelessness (2017)

Report from the cross-party committee that led a parliamentary inquiry on homelessness, with Housing First a key recommendation.

Contents

  1. Policy background
  2. The causes of homelessness
  3. Care-experienced people
  4. Impact of welfare reform
  5. Preventing homelessness and the “Housing Options” approach
  6. Gatekeeping
  7. Accessing information on Housing Options
  8. Extending Housing Options
  9. Data Collection and Monitoring
  10. Tackling homelessness
  11. Awareness of rights
  12. Accommodation for homeless people
  13. Temporary accommodation
  14. Access to temporary accommodation
  15. Length of stay in, quality and costs of temporary accommodation
  16. Possible Solutions
  17. Code of Guidance
  18. The use of shelters for rough sleepers
  19. The number of rough sleepers
  20. Future homelessness service options
  21. Multiple and complex needs
  22. Housing First pilots in Scotland
  23. Learning from Finland
  24. A Scottish model of Housing First
  25. Multi-agency working

 

Our Response:

HNS Response (PDF)

A Caring, Compassionate and Human Rights Informed Drug Policy for Scotland (2023)

Outlines what a progressive, evidence-based drugs policy would look like with public health and the reduction of harm as its underlying principles.

Minister for Drugs and Alcohol Policy, Elena Whitham, has published what progressive, evidence-based drugs policy would look like if it had human rights, public health and the reduction of harm as its underlying principles. While significant actions can continue to be progressed in Scotland, the paper argues that fundamental elements require UK Government to reform drug law to improve the lives of people who use drugs, their families and communities.

Read the report ( external link Scottish Government)

Measuring Impact Task and Finish Group Final Report and Recommendations

The Ending Homelessness Together Monitor is designed to measure the impact of the Scottish Government-COSLA joint Ending Homelessness Together Plan in Scotland.

The Monitor aims to report on indicators that reflect the wide-ranging, interlinked and predictable causes of homelessness including poverty and inequality, strength of labour markets and welfare levels, housing supply and affordability.

Read the recommendations made by the group, one of four thematic and cross sector task-and-finish groups appointed by the Scottish Government’s Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group.

Contents

1. Introduction
2. How homelessness is measured in Scotland
3. Data gaps and limitations
4. Measuring what matters
5. Recommendations and Schedule

Ending Destitution Together Progress Report – Year Two (2022-2023)

Ending Destitution Together (EDT) aims to improve outcomes and support options for people with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) living in Scotland. The strategy was developed jointly by Scottish Government and COSLA and published on 24 March 2021. Engagement to inform the development of the strategy included input from frontline staff in third sector support organisations, local authorities, public services, legal practitioners and people with lived experience of NRPF and destitution. The strategy will run until 2024 and is being delivered in partnership between the Scottish Government and COSLA. The strategy builds on an inquiry by the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities and Human Rights Committee and its report: Hidden Lives – New Beginnings. It takes a preventative approach that aims to support people to resolve the issues they face before they reach a point of crisis. For people who experience destitution, it aims to improve the safety nets that are available in Scotland.

Contents

  • Strategy Delivery and Implementation
  • Essential Needs
  • Advice and Advocacy
  • Inclusion
  • Looking ahead
  • Continued commitment
  • UK Legislative Changes

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