Council's commitment to homelessness in Borders is 'unacceptable'

Published 2 Sep 2010 15:08 0 Comments

HOUSING charity Shelter Scotland has slammed Scottish Borders Council's lack of progress towards meeting the 2012 commitment to end homelessness as "unacceptable".

The Scottish Government's latest homelessness statistics has revealed the council is in fact going backwards, and is not making progress towards meeting the commitment.

This compares to one local authority which has already met the commitment, seven local authorities that are ahead of schedule and 14 making good progress. Only seven are failing to deliver while three including Scottish Borders are actually going backwards.

The charity is calling for Scottish Government intervention to ensure that the council lives up to its responsibilities to homeless people and for housing to be at the top of the national political agenda.

Shelter Scotland wants building more homes, protecting and refurbishing those we already have and preventing homelessness to be top priorities to help the thousands of families stuck waiting for a home.

Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, the housing and homelessness charity said: "Scottish Borders Council's lack of progress towards meeting the 2012 homelessness commitment is simply unacceptable. With only two years to go, the council needs to take urgent action to meet its responsibilities to homeless people or Scottish Ministers should intervene to make it happen.

"We know times are tough and local authorities like Scottish Borders are under increasing pressure, but our commitment to give everyone the right to a home by 2012 is a legislative requirement that cannot be shirked from. Other councils who face similar pressures are performing far better.

"We want everyone in Scotland to have not only the right to a home but the keys to one as well. That's why a new approach to housing is needed. One that puts providing homes at the top of the political agenda and prioritises building more houses, refurbishing and protecting those we already have and preventing people becoming homeless in the first place."

Shelter Scotland's annual conference on progress towards 2012, which will address the challenges councils face, takes place on September 28, 2010 in Edinburgh. For more details or to book your place please go to http://scotland.shelter.org.uk/events

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This article appeared in Border Telegraph 11 Oct 10

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