Bethan Jenkins AM:...I do welcome the plans for pilot projects
throughout Wales for housing first, and I've also heard some of the
successes via our committee visit to the Salvation
Army recently. But I will say, and I hope it's just the
guiding principles that are coming here—and I hope that's what
you'll confirm because I do think it's quite vague in relation to
funding. I hope the statutory element that you're going to release
afterwards will come up with more meat on the...Request free trial
AM:...I do welcome
the plans for pilot projects throughout Wales for housing first,
and I've also heard some of the successes via our committee visit
to the Salvation Army recently. But I will say,
and I hope it's just the guiding principles that are coming
here—and I hope that's what you'll confirm because I do think
it's quite vague in relation to funding. I hope the statutory
element that you're going to release afterwards will come up with
more meat on the bones because I'd like to know, for example, how
it's going to be funded. It says you would expect local authorities
to make the decision. Is it more or less an opt-in, opt-out-type
agenda? And you say that it won't suit some people. From looking at
research, if you do housing first properly, it could be rolled
out as a flagship policy, not just as an option for housing
associations, or for whoever is providing. I do think that it
could be that effective if we put out a bold statement to that
aim...
...My final question is: you've referred twice to mental
health and substance misuse again, fundamentals to this whole
agenda how are you going to improve mental health provision?
Because, again, when we went to the Salvation Army a few weeks ago,
they were saying that they had to wait and wait and wait, and by
that time, their health had deteriorated. So, how can we make sure
that when people in these quite intense situations want mental
health support, they can get it?
:Thanks to
the Minister for today's statement. We've been having an inquiry
into homelessness on the Equality, Local Government and Communities
Committee. As mentioned earlier, we did have
a site visit to the Salvation Army hostel just down the
road from here, in Bute Street, which was a very instructive visit
as we did get to speak not only to the staff, but also to several
of the residents, many of whom are former rough-sleepers. Of
course, it was only a small group, but I think common themes
emerged fairly strongly. These seemed to tell a tale of early
family problems, in many cases, which lead to early abuse of
alcohol and drugs. When the residents begin to go on programmes
where they are able to detox, several of them began to realise that
the substance abuse was actually masking mental health
issues...
AM:...I welcome
the Government statement and action plan. As we've heard,
rough-sleeper numbers do appear to be increasing in terms of the
counts that are taking place. That's why I'm very pleased that the
committee that I chair, the Equality, Local Government and
Communities Committee, is doing a piece of work on rough-sleepers.
We've already made visits to Solas in Newport and
the Salvation Army in Cardiff to hear
from staff and service users. I think it's clear that there are
complex issues involved, as we all know, and there is a great deal
of vulnerability and danger faced by those sleeping on our streets.
So, it's absolutely right that we have more focus and priority for
these issues...
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