Homeless Network Scotland welcomes Matt Hamill to new policy role

Matt joins HNS from the Scottish National Party’s Westminster Group, bringing strong experience in policy development, research and political engagement.

Before joining HNS, he worked in Westminster politics for nine years and held a senior research and policy role focusing on Justice and Home Affairs before going on to lead the SNP’s research operation in London. Matt also worked closely with colleagues in Holyrood during this time, supporting the work of the Scottish Government.

As head of policy and impact, Matt will provide strategic leadership across policy development and implementation and build key relationships to increase the impact of HNS programmes and projects and strengthen the organisation’s influence.

Homeless Network Scotland is the national membership body for organisations committed to preventing and resolving homelessness. Its vision is a Scotland where homelessness is prevented and everyone has a safe and settled home.

Matt said: “This is an incredibly important time to be joining the team at Homeless Network Scotland. With a new parliamentary term underway and a new housing cabinet secretary in place there is a real opportunity to make substantial progress on the urgent and preventable social challenge of homelessness.

“The Scottish Government has rightly declared a housing emergency, but it is vital that accompanying actions match that rhetoric and truly meet the threshold of an emergency response. This cannot be business as usual and I look forward to working with parliamentarians, local government and the wider sector to help drive forward real change by protecting the progress that has been made, ambitiously scaling up what we know works and shifting resources away from what we know does not.”

Homeless Network Scotland chief executive Maggie Brünjes said: “I’m very pleased to welcome Matt as our new Head of Policy and Impact. He brings significant policy expertise, political experience and proven ability to translate insight into influence. He is an outstanding strategic appointment for us at this important time.

“Matt will play a vital role in ensuring that the collective expertise we convene – across the homelessness sector, academia and the lived experience of people in Scotland facing housing insecurity – is not just heard but properly acted upon by decision makers.

“We’re confident his leadership will strengthen our evidence-based work and help turn good policy into meaningful, practical progress so that homelessness is prevented and everyone has a safe, settled home.”