Homelessness

The next Parliamentary elections for Holyrood will be held on 3 May 2007.

Scottish Churches Housing Action believes the 2007-2011 Parliamentary term will be crucial for people who are homeless or badly housed in Scotland. This period will be the last chance to lay the groundwork for the Scottish Executive’s target: that by 2012 everyone who is non-intentionally homeless should be entitled to settled accommodation.

We need enough affordable homes to make good on that commitment. Scottish Churches Housing Action has joined forces with Shelter, The Chartered Institute for Housing in Scotland, and Scottish Council for Single Homeless in calling for 30,000 affordable homes for rent to be built over the three years 2008 to 2010. At a cost of 0.8% of the Scottish budget, this would attract £780 million of private finance, and have a positive impact not only on housing, but on health, jobs, education and community cohesion.

You can make a difference, by supporting this call in discussions with your sitting MSPs, and with candidates during the election campaign. ACTS and the Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office has prepared a guide to planning an election meeting, and a series of questions for candidates on key issues. Question 6 is about housing and homelessness: use it, or frame your own question based on local experience. You can download the materials for free from the ACTS website.

For more information on the joint campaign, visit Shelter’s website. Feel free to contact me (alastair@churches-housing.org) with any questions about this campaign, and please forward us copies of responses you receive from MSPs and candidates.

Best wishes

Alastair Cameron
 

Alastair Cameron
Chief Executive
Scottish Churches Housing Action
28 Albany Street
EDINBURGH
EH1 3QH

t: 0131 477 4500

f: 0131 477 2710

w: www.churches-housing.org

no room for homelessness!