A coalition of Scots charities will today present plans their plans to end rough sleeping to the Scottish Government.
Everyone Home, a collective of nineteen different charities, has agreed a ‘triple lock’ of measures to protect the progress that has been made taking people off the streets since the start of the coronavirus crisis and to end homelessness in the long term.
Chair of Homeless Network Scotland, Patrick Mckay, said the Scottish government was making progress with homelessness, but the start of the pandemic provoked a rapid response.
Since March we have managed to accommodate and support all those who wanted to be indoors, including people with no recourse to public funds such as people seeking asylum in Scotland,’ he said.
‘It is now imperative to secure that progress… Scotland has a unique window to end rough sleeping and mitigate the impact of all forms of homelessness.’
The coalition’s triple lock plan calls on the Scottish Government to prioritise prevention, creating as much capacity as possible; permanently prevent a return to previous levels of rough sleeping; and end evicting people into homelessness.
Crisis chief executive, Jon Sparkes, said: ‘The effort from Scottish Government, local councils and homelessness organisations to help and protect people experiencing homelessness through the outbreak has been remarkable.’
‘We must seize the moment and act now to ensure every one of us has a safe and settled home.’
The 19 members of Everyone Home: Scottish Collective on Covid 19, are:
- Aberdeen Cyrenians
- Aspire (representing the Glasgow Alliance to End Homelessness)
- Bethany Christian Trust
- Crisis Scotland
- CCPS Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland
- Cyrenians
- Four Square
- Glasgow City Mission
- Glasgow Night Shelter for Destitute Asylum Seekers
- Heriot-Watt University (I-SPHERE)
- Homeless Network Scotland
- Rock Trust
- Scottish Refugee Council
- Shelter Scotland
- Simon Community Scotland
- Social Bite
- Street Soccer Scotland
- Turning Point Scotland
- Ypeople
