Maggie Brünjes

The call comes as the Scottish Government prepares to set out its priorities in the annual Programme for Government, and follows the Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s own radical pledge last week that everyone sleeping rough in England will be offered a route off the street by Christmas.

The expert coalition of charities and academics - convened by Homeless Network Scotland - has called for the statement during MSPs’ first week back, while setting out five tests which it says will help judge Holyrood’s response to the crisis over the course of the new parliamentary term.

The move also comes as ministers prepare to publish Scotland’s latest annual homelessness statistics. Last year’s figures painted a grim picture of the scale of the emergency, showing a record 10,480 children across Scotland stuck in temporary accommodation while the number of open homeless cases hit record highs.

The coalition has urged ministers to use the Statement to update on what progress has been made and to set out the Scottish Government’s own response to the recent pledges from Andy Burnham.

The coalition has also published a set of five tests, which it says will show if policymakers are serious about tackling Scotland’s housing emergency.

These are:

1. Building the minimum 15,693 new social homes each year that expert research shows is needed, backed by £8.8billion of investment.
2. Making tackling homelessness, sustainability, and reducing affordable housing need the top priorities of the new housing agency, More Homes Scotland.
3. Delivering a year-on-year reduction in the number of children and families in temporary accommodation over the parliament, by making more social homes available and making the best use of existing stock including converting temporary tenancies into settled homes.
4. Preventing homelessness earlier by placing rights-based early prevention and access to joined-up public services at the heart of Scotland’s response.
5. Ending the need for anyone in Scotland to sleep rough at any time of year by using every available option, including ramping up proven support solutions like Housing First.

Homeless Network Scotland’s chief executive Maggie Brünjes said: “Last week we saw a strong statement of political intent from the Prime Minister on homelessness and rough sleeping in England. As this new session of the Scottish Parliament now gets properly underway following the election and the summer recess, it is absolutely critical that Scotland now shows similar ambition.

“Ahead of the Programme for Government, it is only right that Parliament and the public receive an update on what steps the Scottish Government has planned to tackle homelessness and rough sleeping, following the recent commitments from the Prime Minister.

“Our five tests provide a set of clear and measurable standards against which all of us can judge the progress made by politicians over the next five years. These can ensure that homelessness and the housing emergency remain a national priority over this parliament.

“Homelessness is not inevitable. We know what works, and as MSPs prepare for the new parliamentary term, this is the ideal moment for them to show the public that they grasp the scale of this emergency and are prepared to do what it takes to rise to the occasion.”