Homeless people are part of the community

ALASTAIR Cameron, chief executive of Scottish churches Housing Action, has a piece in the Scotsman newspaper arguing that homeless people must be part of the community, not as an abstract 'problem'. 

He writes that: 2012 is a big year for homelessness in Scotland. In 2002, the Scottish Executive decided that within ten years, all homeless people, not just the most vulnerable, would have a priority need for housing. 

Over that same period Scottish Churches Housing Action has developed new, local, volunteer-based activities on homelessness. These include helping set up two dozen starter-pack schemes: projects that gather good-quality second-hand goods and get them to people in need. This helps prevents homelessness and aids tenants who have been homeless to establish home. 

Our message is that homeless people are our neighbours. They have a place in our community, and by showing a welcome, we help include them. 

More here.

Government to be assessed on homelessness

HOUSING activists will be among those speaking when the Church of Scotland’s Church and Society Council and Scottish Churches Housing Action host a meeting at the City Chambers in Edinburgh on Friday 30 September 2011.

Scottish church leaders have teamed up with the housing charity to assess the progress made by the Scottish Government to eradicate homelessness.

Scottish Churches Housing Action helps churches and others make practical responses to homelessness in Scotland by encouraging the development of affordable housing from redundant or underused church buildings

The meeting is to discuss if the Scottish Government is on course to meet its pledge of providing a home for almost every unintentionally homeless person in Scotland by 2012. More here.

How benefit cuts hit the poorest

ALTHOUGH many policies and decisions about welfare in Scotland remain specific to our context and government, UK-wide financial and policy decisions in welfare - fiscal and otherwise - make a huge difference. 

The second reading of the Welfare Reform Bill takes place this afternoon in the House of Lords. Christian commentator Savitri Hensman, who works in the care and equalities sector, has written a piece which looks at what is happening to housing support in Britain from the perspective of those at the sharp end - very much in line with the perspective adopted by Scotland's Poverty Truth Commission.

She writes: "Especially in areas where affordable housing is scarce, many of us – even if not about to be displaced ourselves – have friends or relatives who are about to lose their homes, with all that this involves," going on to explain why the government’s programme of draconian cuts is so harmful. The whole article can be viewed here.

Empty homes contrast with housing need

AS THE MEDIA scrutinise the legislative programme put forward by the Scottish Government, attention is returning to the problems of homelessness and lack of affordable housing - issues which many who gave evidence to the Poverty Truth Commission highlighted.

Scotland has some 23,000 empty private homes, while  more than 160,000 families, couples and single people are stuck on waiting lists for social housing.

Campaigners and those at the tough end of the national housing crisis say that tackling the problem of vacan properties across the country is important. They want incentives as well as disincentives to change the situation.

The Scottish Government is talking of legislation to allow local authorities to scrap the 50 per cent council tax discount on empty homes.

Proponents say that this could raise an extra £30 million in revenue each year. The money could then be put towards affordable housing schemes, as well as taking away the financial incentive for owners to keep their properties empty.

Kirsten Miller, Shelter Scotland's empty homes co-ordinator, commented: "Councils also have to provide help and advice. A council tax levy is not going to make a huge difference. They need to reach out to the ones that are really stuck and really need help.

She continued: "The ones we are most concerned about are the ones empty for six to 12 months. Usually, something has gone wrong for the owners, or they are afraid of becoming a landlord, or someone has died and there is some uncertainty as to who is to inherit it."

"Empty homes are a disgraceful waste at a time when housing demand outstrips supply. With fewer homes being built, there is no end in sight for the tens of thousands of households in Scotland stuck on housing waiting lists," said Ms Miller