Homelessness – what next
for legal reform
Thursday 20 April 2017
#crisisconf
Welcome
Maeve McGoldrick (Chair)
Head of Policy and Campaigns
Crisis
Being Turned Away
Juliet Mwaniki,
Crisis Ambassador
Lessons learnt from
Scotland
Robert Aldridge
CEO
Homeless Action Scotland
Homelessness
Scottish perspective
Robert Aldridge
Homelessness since 2001….in a slide!
Scottish
Parliament
Agreed 10
year plan
Commitment
to end
homelessness
Health &
Homelessness
Housing
Options
Welfare
Changes &
implications
In Scotland what worked well
The process
all stakeholders on board
Co-operative and solution based
Political backing
No ‘fudging’ of issues
Timescale:
realistic but challenging – and 2012 written in the legislation!
Parallel Health and Homelessness activity
(though not sustained consistently)
The Figures
The Places
What worked well
• Local authorities as drivers of change until 2012
• A partnership approach in monitoring
• The change in culture from rationing to enabling
• The legislative framework – few challenges
• RSL contribution – though inconsistent
What worked well
• Continuing development
• Housing options approach
• Right to housing Support
• PRS reform
• Continuing interest by the Minister
What didn’t work so well
• Conflict between rights at point of crisis and prevention/
sustainability approach
• Alcohol and Drugs partnerships never fully integrated
• Legislation still not fully implemented
• Time in temporary accommodation
• Health: renewed interest but sporadic (danger of
medicalising homelessness versus structural
Not so well -2• Social work involvement in framework
• Guidance on care leavers not realised
• Multiple exclusion homelessness
• Gender issues : co-ordination violence against women
and homelessness sectors
Next steps needed
• Define ‘ending homelessness’
• Rethink temporary accommodation
• Structural issues: houses, support, money,
housing allocations
• Leaving institutions
• Recurring homelessness; chronic
homelessness; one-off homelessness;
gender
• Cross cutting approaches
• Stable funding for preventative support
Lessons from Wales
Dr Peter Mackie
Lecturer
University of Cardiff
Panel discussion – Homelessness: what next for legal
reform?
Maeve McGoldrick (Chair), Head of Policy and Campaigns,
Crisis
Juliet Mwaniki, Crisis Ambassador
Robert Aldridge, CEO Homeless Action Scotland
Dr Peter Mackie, Lecturer University of Cardiff
Professor Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Herriot-Watt University
Thank you
crisis.org.uk