Homelessness Bill passed by Parliament

The second major piece of legislation affecting homeless people has been passed by the Scottish Parliament today. The Homelessness etc. ( Scotland ) Bill sets the framework for Scotland to have the most progressive policies towards homeless people in western Europe.

The main thrust of the Bill is to implement the final report of the Homelessness Task Force. In particular it:

• Extends the definition of 'priority need' to more groups of homeless people, leading to its abolition in 10 years
• Ensures that by 2012, Councils will be obliged to find permanent accommodation for all those who are homeless.
• Gives local authorities new duties to offer support to those found intentionally homeless to tackle the root cause of their problems.
• Suspends the use of 'local connection' - so that a homeless person will be assisted in the area where they apply as homeless.

Scottish Council for Single Homeless Director, Robert Aldridge, said:

"I was proud to serve on the Homelessness Task Force and am pleased to see our recommendations developed in the Homelessness Bill. When combined with the reforms of the 2001 Housing Act , Scotland will lead the way in Europe in tackling homelessness.

The Act sets the scene for a major culture change in the way we treat homeless people in Scotland . It begins to dismantle the bureaucratic aspects of the 1977 Act. The new Act concentrates resources on assisting homeless people to be housed successfully, rather than on investigating how they might be rationed out of the system. It will help all homeless people, eventually ending the discrimination many single homeless people have faced over the years."

"Two crucial issues need to be addressed if the new Act is to work effectively. The first is to ensure that there is sufficient good quality rented accommodation available in the places people need to live - and that will require investment in social rented housing. The second is the role of support to households who need a bit of extra help in order to sustain their homes."