THE Scottish Government has been urged to be much more proactive in preventing homelessness.
A new report by an expert group says public bodies could intervene up to six months before someone faces losing their home.
The Homelessness Prevention Review Group, set up at the request of the Scottish Government, recommends that health services ask about a person’s housing situation to identify any issues at an “early stage and act where a problem exists”.
They would then work together with housing professionals to ensure that people get help early and do not lose their home unnecessarily.
The proposals, if implemented, would ensure that “no one leaves an institution, such as prison or hospital, without somewhere to sleep that night”.
The report says that at least 8% of the Scottish population – one in 12 people – have experienced homelessness at one point or another.
Housing Minister Kevin Stewart welcomed the group’s work.
He said: “Ending homelessness is a priority for the Scottish Government so I welcome the recommendations in this report, which focuses on the importance of preventing homelessness from happening in the first place.”
The group was made up of local authority bodies, and representatives from the housing and homelessness sectors.
Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick from Heriot-Watt University, who chaired the group, said: “While we have strong protections in place to help individuals and families when they are at imminent risk of losing their home, we have laid far less emphasis to date on effective work to prevent homelessness happening in the first place.
“This means it is all too common for someone to reach crisis point before they get the help they need.”
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