Charity Echoes Former Moderator's Call For Action on Homelessness

The Very Rev Dr Russell Barr delivering his address calling for action on homelessness at the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in May. (Picture by Derek Fett)

A Churches housing charity has urged Scotland’s housing minister to wipe out homelessness, echoing a call for action by a former Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

The Rev Graeme Wilson, Convener of Scottish Churches Housing Action (SCHA) has written to Kevin Stewart MSP, minister for local government and housing in the Scottish Government calling for an approach that ‘seeks to eradicate, rather than just to manage, Scotland’s major problems of homelessness’.

The hard-hitting letter refers to an address delivered on the opening day of this year’s General Assembly of the Church of Scotland by the outgoing Moderator, the Very Rev Dr Russell Barr, in which he said the causes of homelessness had been identified and policies put in place, but that the political will to resolve it was lacking. The session was attended by the First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon and civic leaders from Scotland’s local authorities. Homelessness was one of the themes adopted by Dr Barr during his year in office.

In the letter Mr Wilson said he recognised the value of the Scottish Government’s approach to housebuilding, which has set a target of 50,000 new affordable homes for the current Parliament. However he adds “…providing much-needed affordable homes will be wasted effort if it is not matched by measures to ensure that people can sustain their tenancies”.

“The housing options approach has made a significant difference, but when the options are as limited as they are for many of our more vulnerable citizens, it does not provide a complete response,” the letter adds.

The letter also points out how the policies and practice of a range of areas under the control of the Scottish Government can lead to homelessness.

Commenting on his letter, Mr Wilson says: “We have to be quite clear that responding to homelessness is not just a housing matter: housing is essential, but not enough. We need to be sure that ministers and cabinet secretaries with responsibility for education, health, community justice, young people in care, and job creation are all aware of what they should be doing to ensure that there is no room for homelessness in Scotland”.

Read a report on Dr Barr’s speech here

Watch his speech here

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