Homelessness

Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at 12:53 pm on 7 November 2024.

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Photo of Roz McCall Roz McCall Conservative 12:53, 7 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to end homelessness. (S6O-03899)

Photo of Paul McLennan Paul McLennan Scottish National Party

We are making more than £14 billion available to councils in 2024-25 to deliver a range of services, including homelessness services. That is topped up by our multiyear £100 million ending homelessness together fund. We are also introducing new homelessness prevention duties.

The United Kingdom Government’s decision to freeze local housing allowance is disappointing and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation has said that private renters will feel let down by that choice.

We are also investing more than £90 million in discretionary housing payments to help families meet their housing costs and, on Thursday, we announced further rent control measures to protect tenants and keep people in their homes.

Photo of Roz McCall Roz McCall Conservative

To be frank, the current action is not working. Figures that were released last month revealed that more than 15,000 children in Scotland are homeless and that the average time taken to access support is worsening. It is a fact that the Scottish Government has failed to tackle homelessness for the past 17 years. Does the minister agree with Shelter Scotland that those figures are “shocking and indefensible”?

Photo of Paul McLennan Paul McLennan Scottish National Party

I remind the member of her party’s involvement in austerity during the 17 years that she mentions. The local housing allowance that I mentioned was frozen by her party for a number of years.

On top of the figures that I mentioned, we have made an additional £40 million investment in affordable housing this year to deal with voids and acquisitions, taking our overall investment to more than £600 million. We are also providing an extra £2 million to local authorities facing the most significant pressures on temporary accommodation and are supporting councils to target plans that will address local challenges.

If the member wants to see the continued investment that I have mentioned, I hope that she will vote for the Scottish Government budget, which will be brought forward in the next few weeks.

Photo of Ash Denham Ash Denham Scottish National Party

What action is the Scottish Government taking to address the impact of the housing crisis on women and children, given last month’s joint report by Shelter Scotland and Engender, which showed that women are disproportionately affected by the housing crisis and that they face unique challenges in accessing safe and affordable housing or single-sex temporary accommodation?

Photo of Paul McLennan Paul McLennan Scottish National Party

The member makes an important point and raises a number of issues. The prevention duties and domestic abuse protocols are very important and we have been engaging on those with local authorities and Scottish Women’s Aid. Her point about single-sex temporary accommodation is an incredibly important one that I raise with local authorities when I meet them. I would be happy to engage further with the member on that point.