HOMELESSNESS SERVICES - ‘CARRYING THE CAN’


In the absence of a court order, local authority statutory homelessness services were the next most likely service to ‘lead’ on SMD cases, but this presented a host of issues.


In particular, while homelessness services and Housing Options teams may seek to make referrals to addiction and mental health services for SMD clients, they had no command over these resources, nor the necessary authority to coordinate timely multi-sectoral interventions for people with complex needs.


There was also much for homelessness services to do to get their own house in order with regard to the service they provide to people facing SMD. Administrative statistics indicate that homelessness rehousing outcomes are systematically worse for SMD groups and not improving over time. Moreover, it was evident from the accounts given by both people with lived experience and service providers in some case study areas that local authorities were routinely failing in their statutory duties to homeless people, turning some away some without the temporary accommodation to which they are entitled1


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Further, discussion of one of the ‘vignettes’ (hypothetical but realistic stories used as a


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prompt by the researchers) revealed the extent to which lack of a ‘local connection’ is treated as a bar to homelessness assistance in some areas, in contravention of the legislative arrangements that provide that only the ‘settled’ rehousing duty can be transferred between local authorities.


The highly variable quality of hostels and other forms of temporary and/or supported accommodation for homeless people across Scotland matches the findings of a recent national study (Watts et al, 2018). Evidence of the disappointingly ’light touch’ and short- term nature of floating support often offered to people facing SMD after they have moved into their own tenancies is a useful reminder of the vital importance of open-ended, wrap-around support for those with complex needs being moved into permanent housing under the rapid rehousing and Housing First approach now being rolled out across Scotland2


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