- Response to recommendations to reduce temporary accommodation
use.
Efforts to reduce the number of households living in temporary
accommodation will be backed by at least £60 million to support a
national acquisition plan to increase the supply of social and
affordable housing.
The funding will support councils and registered social landlords
to purchase properties including empty homes and private sector
homes.
Other measures to reduce temporary accommodation will include
working with social landlords to increase allocations to homeless
households and providing national guidance for local authorities
to support good practice around changing temporary accommodation
into permanent affordable homes.
Bespoke plans to address specific issues will also be developed
with the local authorities with the greatest temporary
accommodation pressures.
First Minister said:
“Housing is crucial to achieving our aspirations of a fairer
country.
“We recognise the varying challenges that exist across Scotland
and that these cannot be addressed by a single solution.
“That is why the range of actions we will be taking, including
our £60 million plan, will help us effect real change.
“A great deal of consideration has been given to the best way to
reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation. I am
thankful to members of the Temporary Accommodation Task and
Finish Group and all its contributors for the role they played in
shaping the final recommendations.”
John Mills, Co-Chair of ALACHO and joint chair of the Task and
Finish Group, said:
“We’re heartened by the Scottish Government’s recognition of the
seriousness of the current situation, the damage that is being
done to many families living in temporary accommodation for long
periods and the increasing challenges councils are facing in
meeting their needs.
“We’re particularly pleased by the commitment to a national
acquisitions programme to bring more homes into social renting
quickly and we look forward to working with the Scottish
Government, COSLA and Shelter Scotland to recapture the momentum
towards ending homeless that we had pre-pandemic.”
Alison Watson, Director of Shelter Scotland and co-chair of the
Temporary Accommodation Task & Finish Group, said:
“Scotland is experiencing a housing emergency that is ruining
lives. By being here today, the First Minister is showing that he
is serious about this emergency.
“At Shelter Scotland, we see the impact of our broken and biased
housing system in the work we do with families and individuals
trapped in temporary accommodation. When a system isn’t working
it is those groups most marginalised – children, disabled people
and minoritised ethnic groups – that feel the impact the
most.
“That is why I was so honoured to co-chair this expert group
which engaged directly with people experiencing homelessness.
They identified three key priorities for the Scottish Government.
Firstly, buy and build more homes to deal with the current
emergency; secondly, prioritise the homes we have for people
experiencing homelessness; and finally, fully-fund high-quality
services that always treat people with dignity.
“Today’s announcement is the first step in the right direction to
bring down the number of households in temporary accommodation
from its current record high. It must not be the last.”
Background
Scottish Government
response to recommendations to reduce the use of temporary
accommodation
Funding for the National Acquisition Plan of at least £60 million
comes from the 2023-24 Affordable Housing Supply Programme,
allowing local authorities to use their existing resource
planning assumptions to rapidly acquire properties for use as
high quality, affordable, permanent homes.
The Scottish Government has committed to delivering 110,000
affordable homes across Scotland by 2032, at least 70% of which
will be for social rent and 10% in remote, rural and island
communities.
On 30 March 2023, the Temporary Accommodation
Task and Finish Groupprovided Scottish Ministers with
recommendations on reducing the number of households in temporary
accommodation.
Co-Chairs of the Temporary Accommodation Task and Finish Group:
Alison Watson, Director, Shelter Scotland; and John Mills,
Co-Chair of ALACHO (Association of Local Authority Chief Housing
Officers) and Head of Housing, Fife Council.
