Homelessness

The number of homeless applications received by Argyll and Bute Council has fallen by 15% since 2012. Figures show that 47% of households given housing options advice at an early stage were assisted to remain in their current accommodation.

Councillor Frank McAveety with the homelessness easement card and IWS resources Glasgow City Council’s Poverty Leadership Panel (PLP) has launched a pocket sized information card to help homeless jobseekers.

Homeless people in Perth and Kinross met with MSPs from the Scottish Parliament’s local government and communities committee when they visited Churches Action for the Homeless (CATH) this week. CATH offers support to those homeless or under threat of homelessness who might otherwise have gone unde

Ewan Aitken Ewan Aitken of homelessness charity Cyrenians blogs ahead of Shelter Scotland’s Homelessness Conference 2017

Glasgow women facing a life on the streets met with MSPs from the Scottish Parliament’s local government and communities committee when they visited Simon Community Scotland and Legal Services Agency yesterday. By speaking to women in housing crisis, and frontline street team staff, the MSPs explo

A group of MSPs from the Scottish Parliament’s local government and communities committee met with Edinburgh’s homeless community at the Streetwork crisis centre yesterday. By speaking directly to people in housing crisis and frontline support staff, the MSPs explored how people are accessing ho

Unexplained variations in the use of benefit sanctions are “unacceptable” and must be addressed, according to a committee of MPs. A new Public Accounts Committee (PAC) report into the use of benefit sanctions has revealed jobcentres and providers use them “inconsistently”, with some Work Pro

A joined up approach used by Glasgow City Mission has resulted in the number of people using its winter night shelter decreasing from last year’s record count. An average of 27 homeless men and women have used the emergency shelter during December and January with a maximum capacity of 40 only bei

The Cyrenians charity has launched a new venture in partnership with the St Martin-in-the-Fields charity designed to bring together workers on the frontline of homelessness in Edinburgh. The St Martin’s Frontline Network will provide a space for mutual support, sharing best practice, and engaging

A new ‘socks lottery’ is to launch in Dundee, giving participants the chance to win a cash prize and support the local homeless population. Launched yesterday, the competition allows people to enter to win £500 by purchasing a pair of socks online, with an additional pair then being sent to a h

Cyrenians chief executive Ewan Aitken, second from right, congratulates Bert Robberechts, Clement Luciani, King Him Fung and Callum Barclay Students from Edinburgh Napier University have showcased their creative skills at a 24 hour event aimed at tackling homelessness in the city.

Councillor George Paul A new £2.3 million centre which provides a first point of call for customers at risk of homelessness has officially opened in Blackburn, West Lothian.

The increasing time spent in temporary accommodation by homeless families with children in Scotland is now far too long and risks harming their health and wellbeing, a new report has warned today. Housing and homelessness charity Shelter Scotland said that families with children spent a total of nea

A pioneering scheme in Scotland’s biggest city has helped cut the number of people presenting themselves as homeless. An independent report has concluded that Housing Options in Glasgow has contributed to a 29% fall in homeless applications - from 8299 a year in 2012/2013 to 5929 in 2015/2016. The

Shelter Scotland will be holding its annual homelessness conference on 22nd March 2017 in central Edinburgh, based around the main asks of current Far from Fixed campaign. Chaired by Ewan Aitken, director of Cyrenians, the conference’s agenda is packed with a variety of fantastic speakers and topi