Shelter Scotland: First Minister must prioritise homeless prevention funding

The charity said that the new prevention duties set out in the housing bill currently before the Scottish Parliament would leave councils in limbo if they weren’t matched by new funding.

With 10 councils’ homeless services having been deemed to be in a state of ‘systemic failure’ and existing services being cut due to a lack of funding, Shelter Scotland added that those on the front line of the housing emergency cannot be expected to do more with less.

Shelter Scotland director Alison Watson said: “Preventing homelessness, and lifting people out of homelessness, takes money and political leadership.

“Right now, a lack of resources has led to a dozen councils declaring a housing emergency, local authorities breaking the law on housing and homelessness with unprecedented regularity, and existing prevention services are being axed.

“We can’t keep asking those on the frontline of the housing emergency to do more with less and expect a positive outcome.

“If there’s no new money to match the new duties in the housing bill then we can reasonably assume that councils, and the families at risk of losing their homes, are being left in limbo by a system that creates homelessness by design.”