Responding to the local government and communities committee request for evidence on homelessness, the SFHA set out the range of work being carried out by its members to help prevent tenants become homeless, as well as providing new tenancies for people who have been homeless.

The Parliamentary committee undertook fact-finding visits earlier this year and are keen to examine homelessness prevention and the effectiveness of the Housing Options approach.

The submission from the SFHA highlighted the need for investment in the range and accessibility of stock available to meet the wider range of social and health needs of tenants and the funding to retain that stock going forward.

It also welcomed the committee’s focus on prevention and highlighted the work of members in supporting tenants with financial advice and support, working to ensure they receive benefits they are entitled to and assisting with wider community support, whether run by the association themselves or through referrals to other local support networks.

The SFHA further highlighted both the financial benefit to tenants of members’ work and the wider savings to the NHS of sustaining tenancies. A key concern highlighted was the impact of welfare changes such as the implementation of Universal Credit, the restriction of entitlement to support with housing costs for 18-21 year olds, the LHA cap and benefit cap reductions which are undermining tenant incomes and their ability to pay their rents.

Recent SFHA staff visits to members have highlighted the range and quality of tenancy sustainment work being carried out by SFHA members. The SFHA recently joined with Shelter and other stakeholders to support the call on the Scottish Government to produce a strategy on homelessness under the headline ‘Homelessness: Not Yet Fixed’.

Given the political salience of homelessness and the upcoming Parliamentary summer recess, the SFHA said there is an opportunity for members to make contact with parliamentarians to enable them to see for themselves the range of work being carried out in communities, and to understand the challenges members face in playing a full part in supporting people who have been homeless or at risk of losing their tenancy.

Read the full range of submissions to the call for evidence here.