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Scottish government boosts funding to tackle homelessness and reduce temporary accommodation use
Efforts to tackle homelessness, reduce poverty and support women who have experienced domestic abuse in Scotland are being boosted by an additional £1.6m this year.
Scottish government boosts funding to tackle homelessness and reduce temporary accommodation use #UKhousingEfforts to tackle homelessness, reduce poverty and support women who have experienced domestic abuse in Scotland are being boosted by an additional £1.6m #UKhousingThe Scottish government has announced a £1m investment in Discretionary Housing Payments for local authorities to help people move from temporary accommodation into permanent homes.
An emergency fund that outreach workers can use to help rough sleepers or those at risk of becoming homeless will be expanded with an additional £100,000.
Plus, £500,000 will bolster the £1m Fund to Leave, which supports women experiencing domestic abuse to buy essentials when leaving an abusive partner, recognising that domestic abuse remains a leading cause of women’s homelessness.
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Scottish housing secretary Màiri McAllan said: “Our approach to supporting people is rooted in compassion and is driven by the belief that everyone, regardless of circumstance, deserves a place to call home.
“These investments reflect that housing is about more than basic shelter – it’s about safety, dignity and the chance to rebuild. And it follows on from the work set out in the Housing Bill to revolutionise homelessness prevention and improve standards in rented housing.
“When we get housing and anti-poverty measures right, we don’t just solve a problem, we build a fairer and healthier Scotland for generations.”
The Scottish government has also announced £1m of additional funding for services that support people struggling with debt on their energy bills.
This will help organisations to provide money and debt advice to customers, increase capacity through additional training for staff, and enhance engagement with energy suppliers to facilitate fairer and more sustainable debt solutions for customers.
Ms McAllan said: “In an energy-rich country like Scotland, nobody should be struggling to pay their energy bills.
“The UK government said energy bills were going to come down, but they’ve only gone up and could rise further still. That underlines the importance of our investment in services that support those who are struggling the most.
“Advice agencies like Citizens Advice Scotland, StepChange and Advice Direct Scotland, play a vital role delivering this support and we will continue to work closely with them to ease the burden of the cost of living and help those who need it.”
Sharon Bell, head of StepChange Debt Charity Scotland, said: “Scotland is facing an energy debt crisis, and more and more clients are coming to StepChange Debt Charity Scotland with spiralling energy arrears.
“We welcome this additional funding from the Scottish government which is allowing us to provide vital energy debt advice to more people across Scotland right when it is needed the most.”
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