Despite increasing rates of homelessness in North Lanarkshire, local interventions continue to prevent rough sleeping.
A report updating councillors on the rapid re-housing transition plan shows that homelessness in the area has increased for a second consecutive year, this time by 16 per cent which is above the Scottish average.
Twelve councils in Scotland have already declared a homelessness emergency, citing a lack of affordable housing and other economic pressures, and these announcements followed the Scottish Government acknowledging a national crisis.
For more than three years, North Lanarkshire Council’s Homes First Team has worked with a range of partners including the NHS to support homeless people with complex needs. In 2023-2024 it expanded its services to support 54 people, all of whom were able to sustain homes.
The council has also established a crisis response service which provides outreach work for those in need of immediate response, while Turning Point Scotland also provides support to ensure people have access to the services they need.
The Household Support Fund helped 140 young single people resolve financial problems such as rent areas, energy costs and food prices.
The Barnardo’s-funded Keys to the Future programme helped 24 families with 42 children who were facing homelessness.
Other initiatives have seen people take part in workshops, given furniture, internet access and emotional support to help them recover.
Despite the growing numbers of homeless the number of children involved has fallen by 15 per cent versus a five per cent increase across Scotland as a whole. The average amount of time spent in North Lanarkshire temporary accommodation has also fallen to 131 days which is around half the Scottish average,
One measure the council is to explore is reducing the number of housing offers made to homeless people from two options to one, a change which will be implemented in the form of a six month pilot scheme followed by a report to the housing committee.
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