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Scotland’s largest housing association commits additional 100 homes to Housing First
The Wheatley Group has pledged an additional 100 homes to Housing First in Scotland, as part of a package of measures in response to the coronavirus crisis.
The extra 100 homes being offered by Wheatley are in addition to the 200 Housing First homes committed by the group in 2018, of which 120 have already been provided.
Housing First is a homelessness policy that involves moving people straight from the streets into a permanent home and tailoring support around them.
This is instead of homeless people being moved through different ‘levels’ of housing, including emergency shelters and temporary accommodation.
In addition to the Housing First properties being offered by Wheatley, the group has also committed to ‘flipping’ 150 temporary furnished homes into permanent homes for the homeless people currently occupying them.
At the start of the coronavirus crisis, the 93,000-home landlord made roughly 300 empty homes available to local authorities as temporary accommodation for homeless people.
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Martin Armstrong, chief executive of Wheatley, said: “We’re doing all we can, as Scotland’s largest housing, care and property-management group, to use our size and scale to help the most vulnerable people in our communities, including the homeless.
“This involves working closely and effectively with our many partners, including Scottish government and local authorities across the country, on initiatives such as Housing First, which we’ve supported from the beginning.
“No one should ever underestimate the importance of everyone having a warm, safe and secure home and, in the case of rough sleepers and the homeless, making sure this is accompanied by all the necessary support needed to help people rebuild their lives.”
Last year, the Scottish government joined with voluntary organisations to launch Housing First pilots in six local authority areas.
A recent update from the programme found that 252 new Housing First tenancies had been started in the pilot’s first year, with a 92% tenancy sustainment rate.
Scottish housing minister Kevin Stewart said: “The Scottish government has worked in close partnership with local government and frontline organisations to ensure our response to this crisis has been swift and effective in order to keep people safe.
“The Housing First Pathfinder programme, which is funded by Scottish government alongside Social Bite, continues to find long-term accommodation for people, even with challenges posed by the COVID-19 crisis.
“The pandemic has shown what we can do if we work together to address social issues. It has been challenging and will remain so but we are determined to ensure everyone has a secure and settled home once the crisis ends.”
