Crisis has set out an ambitious plan which it says could stop people from having to sleep on the streets
A charity has set out an ambitious plan which it says could end homelessness within a decade.
However Crisis has warned that governments must develop specially tailored policies to take people off the streets for good.
Everybody In: How to end homelessness in Great Britain makes a series of recommendations which are aimed at helping the Scottish, Welsh and Westminster governments to get vulnerable people into homes.
The plan comprises extensive new research - with Crisis working with experts such as the Chartered Institute of Housing, National Housing Federation, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), and Edinburgh's Heriot-Watt University.
It calls upon all political parties to commit to ending homelessness, and for action plans to be devised setting out how this will be achieved.
The charity wants to see 5,500 social homes built in Scotland each year for the next 15 years and 105,000 UK-wide to help the 16,800 people across Scotland experiencing the worst forms of homelessness. It also recommends a national roll-out of over 1,300 Housing First placements in Scotland to help those in the most chronic need with a complete care package.
Jon Sparkes, chief executive of Crisis, said: “For the first time ever, we have a comprehensive plan that shows exactly how we can address the root causes of homelessness and make it a thing of the past. Other parts of the world are taking huge strides towards ending it, and Britain can too. We must not become a society that simply accepts homelessness as a sad fact of life, because the good news is that we know it doesn’t have to be this way.
“It’s been inspiring to see the recent surge in public support and political will to tackle homelessness, including strong commitments from all three governments. Now is the time to build on those commitments. With the right measures in place, we can do what it takes to end homelessness and make sure that no one in Britain has to face it again.”
The report recognises that there has been a reduction in rough sleeping in Scotland in recent years, but the number of people placed in temporary accommodation has risen and the average length of stay is also on the up.
The plan sets out the policies needed to support people once they are housed. This includes better rights and longer tenancies for private renters, and reforming housing benefits so they meet the true cost of private renting.
Ending homelessness will also require hospitals, prisons, the care system and other parts of the state to play a role, the research finds. These organisations should be legally required to help prevent people leaving their care from becoming homeless. The plan also proposes that job centres employ homelessness specialists.
The policies set out would cost £615 million and deliver benefits worth £1.7 billion in Scotland, according to financial firm PwC.
