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New report from the frontline of the housing emergency

New report from the frontline of the housing emergency

New report from the frontline of the housing emergency

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

In a new report, the All in for Change Team in Scotland explores how the housing emergency is impacting on people and services across Scotland. The report shares findings from a National Roadshow earlier this year aimed at Taking the Temperature on homelessness in Scotland.

Background to All in For Change
All in for Change is an inclusive programme using a collaborative approach to end homelessness in Scotland. The programme is driven by a Change Team of people from across Scotland – experts in what homelessness looks like on the ground, for those most affected by it. The Change Team brings together diverse knowledge from people with experience of homelessness and those working in a frontline role, and takes an informal approach to bridge the gap between policy, planning, and action on the ground.

All in for Change was formed as a result of the Ending Homelessness Together Plan (2018) which included recommendations to end homelessness in Scotland and involve lived experience in policy development.

In Spring 2024, the Change Team toured Scotland to explore what’s happening on the ground across the country and how the current pressures on housing and homelessness are affecting people experiencing homelessness and the staff trying to support them.

The Change Team visited Aberdeen, Clydebank, Falkirk, Greenock and Kirkcaldy and spoke to 146 people, primarily frontline workers, service managers and people who have experienced homelessness.

Progress and challenges
Through workshops and focus groups, people shared what is getting in the way of improving things – and what’s going well despite the pressures.

The report includes lots of examples of good practice across the country, and participants broadly agreed that we’re seeing positive culture change around trauma informed and person-centred support, with more understanding of the causes of homelessness, which is creating a more compassionate response to people who are experiencing homelessness.

On the other hand, challenges around housing stock, funding insecurities and pressure on frontline workers are getting in the way of progress in a lot of areas.

Eight Calls from the Frontline
The evidence from the Roadshow is summarised in ‘8 Calls from the Frontline’, setting out what needs to happen now on prevention, housing supply, culture change, caseload levels, creating more joined-up services, harnessing community assets, and more.

People who engaged with the Roadshow are asking decision-makers to:

  1. Refocus on rapid rehousing and continue to put Housing First, first
  2. Take a targeted approach to people most at risk of homelessness and work with them to prevent homelessness
  3. Increase housing stock by focusing on empty homes, turning over voids and getting repairs done as a priority to make more social housing available for those who need it
  4. Broker better relationships between local authorities and the private rented sector to encourage letting to households who want to use the private rented sector
  5. Put people first by making it easy for people to get the help they need with more face-to-face services and a greater community presence
  6. Increase the understanding of data sharing rules (GDPR) so that this doesn’t get in the way of building a system with No Wrong Door
  7. Continue to roll out training and increase support for practice that is trauma-informed
  8. Decrease caseloads and huge pressure on staff working in housing and homelessness to create the space and time needed to develop trusting relationships and good vibes

The evidence from the report has been shared with the Homelessness Prevention and Strategy Group which is co-chaired by the Minister for Housing and the COSLA Community Wellbeing Spokesperson.

You can read the full report here.

The Change Team is always keen to learn from people and their experiences. You can get in touch on ChangeTeam@homelessnetwork.scot if you have any questions or want to connect with the Team.

All in for Change is funded by the Scottish Government and St Martin’s Frontline Network. The programme is facilitated by Cyrenians and Homeless Network Scotland.

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