Projects aim to address root causes of homelessness

Five projects supporting hundreds of homeless people have been awarded funding from Social Bite.

The Housing First Scotland Fund was launched earlier this year by the hugely successful social enterprise with money raised through its Sleep in the Park events.

This first set of projects will be funded until 2021 across Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling, Aberdeen and Dundee with the aim of supporting just over 200 people.

The ultimate aim of the programme is to support 800 people out of homelessness for good.

Social Bite Founder, Josh Littlejohn said: “It is a major milestone in the fight against homelessness and I hope it will make a massive difference to Scotland’s most excluded people, many of whom have suffered from homelessness for years.”

Kevin Stewart, minister for housing, added: “We want to ensure everyone has a safe place they can call home. This is a significant step forward for the Social Bite Housing First Programme and towards helping people with complex needs to move quickly into permanent homes with the support they need to sustain a tenancy.”

The funded projects are: Housing First Glasgow led by Turning Point Scotland; Housing First Edinburgh led by Edinburgh Cyrenians; Housing First Dundee led by Transform Community Development; Housing First Aberdeen led by Aberdeen Cyrenians; and Housing First Stirling led by Loretto Care.