According a new plans, it is revealed by the Scottish government that public institutions could be given a legal obligation to prevent homelessness. The health service in Scotland, the police, and children’s organizations would all be required to identify persons who are at risk of becoming homeless and either take action or send them to get help.
- The ideas, which aim to get public bodies to intervene at an earlier stage to prevent the “traumatic and unsettling experience” of homelessness, have been put out to consultation by the government.
- Early intervention should be a shared public obligation, giving homeless people greater options and control over where they exist. Homelessness is typically a terrible and unpleasant experience for those involved, especially children, and it can have a significant influence on their lives.
- “We know that the greatest approach to eliminate homelessness is to prevent it from happening in the first place,” Housing Secretary Shona Robison said. These new plans build on Scotland’s already strong housing rights for persons who become homeless.
- She also stated that by engaging sooner and encouraging services to collaborate to meet people’s needs, we can ensure that fewer people and families are forced to reconstruct their lives after experiencing homelessness.
- Jon Sparkes, the chief executive of the homelessness charity Crisis, said: “We strongly support plans for new duties for public bodies to prevent homelessness in Scotland.”
- Scotland has made “huge progress” in its journey towards ending homelessness but too many people are being forced to reach crisis point before they get help, it said. Proposals for new duties requiring public services to ask about someone’s housing situation and offer them the help they need have been backed by a leading homelessness charity.
- The party said: “Everyone has a role to play in preventing homelessness, and by introducing new duties public services can build a truly world-leading system of homelessness prevention”.
The duty to end homelessness will be shared with other public bodies as part of a consultation on how best to tackle rough sleeping and sofa surfing in Scotland. “People have a right to a place they can call home,” according to Cosla, the organization representing local authorities.
