TOM ARTHUR WELCOMES ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO HELP HOMELESS PEOPLE INTO STABLE ACCOMMODATION
Tom Arthur MSP has welcomed news that an additional £9 million of funding will be provided to local authorities to prevent homelessness and help people into more permanent accommodation.
The investment, part of the Scottish Government’s £50 million Ending Homelessness Together fund, will increase the local authority funding being provided for Rapid Rehousing from £15 million to £24 million over three years.
This will help transform services so people facing homelessness can either immediately, or as quickly as possible, be placed into permanent, stable accommodation with the support they need.
Commenting on the announcement, the Renfrewshire South MSP said:
“I welcome this extra resource which will help local authorities ensure the right mix of housing options across Renfrewshire South, as well as reduce poverty and inequality across our communities.
“Temporary accommodation provides an important safety net in a crisis, but evidence shows what most people need is a settled place to stay where they can rebuild their lives.
“This additional funding will help reduce time spent in temporary accommodation and get people experiencing homelessness into appropriate and sustainable housing as quickly as possible.”
Rapid Rehousing was a key recommendation from the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group. The Scottish Government committed to £15 million back in July 2018 and set out commitments with COSLA in the Ending Homelessness Together Action Plan published in November 2018. Local authorities provided five year action plans in December 2018 and implementation began in April 2019.
Funding totalling £8 million for 2019-20 will be allocated to local authorities according to a distribution formula agreed with COSLA.