This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Rough sleeping and homelessness
17/03/2005
Evaluation of the Rough Sleepers Initiative (RSI) in Scotland has found that there has been improvement in services available to rough sleepers and a significant reduction in the numbers of rough sleepers.
The findings were published today as Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm was visiting Glasgow to see for himself the Hostel Decommissioning and Reprovisioning Programme in action.
The RSI, launched in 1997, is designed to transform the lives of those vulnerable to rough sleeping by providing specific funding for access to accommodation and networks of support services to help people get off the streets and into a home of their own.
Under the initiative, local authorities, health services, social work services and the voluntary sector work together to meet housing and care needs.
Research shows that as a direct result of the RSI approach and funding there have been improvements in the number, impact and geographical spread of services available to rough sleepers and recommends that funding along these lines continues.
Mr Chisholm said:
"Considerable efforts and investment have gone into this initiative which is rightly aimed at targeting some of the most vulnerable people in our society.
"Counts undertaken twice a year show that the Rough Sleepers Initiative has provided for a good supply of direct access accommodation in most local authorities in Scotland and we are keen to ensure this continues.
"Through this initiative we have seen effective joined up working between many agencies, resulting in the delivery of much needed services and a decline in the number of those sleeping rough on Scotland's streets.
"It has made a huge impact on many people's lives and the RSI continues as part of the Homelessness Strategies of each of Scotland's local authorities.
"We know that drug and alcohol misuse, mental health problems and anti-social behaviour can prevent people from accessing the services and accommodation they need.
"A small number of people remain hard to reach and we must always be mindful that there is the potential for people to become rough sleepers. We must continue our efforts to help people off the street and prevent rough sleeping in the first place."
Councillor Frank Ellis, on behalf of CoSLA, said:
"The Rough Sleepers Initiative demonstrates the real difference that can be made when the key agencies in Scotland work in partnership. Local authorities are keen to build upon this progress, and use the findings of the research to further target areas of greatest need.
"We welcome the Minister's commitment to this work, and share his desire to tackle the root causes of rough sleeping and homelessness"
As part of the Hostel Closure and Repositioning Programme steered by the Executive, Glasgow City Council, NHS Greater Glasgow and the voluntary sector, the third of five large hostels - Robertson House - has been closed and replaced with new accommodation and services.
The closure of this hostel is a milestone in the programme to close all large and unsuitable hostels and replace them with quality accommodation which is better tailored to people's needs.
In Glasgow today, Mr Chisholm said:
"I was delighted to be able to see first hand the new facilities and share this important occasion with the many people involved in this a key milestone in our long journey to close large and unsuitable hostels.
"Glasgow faces some unique challenges, notably the numbers of people needing assistance and the nature of the hostel accommodation. Meeting these tough challenges takes considerable commitment and cannot be met without significant investment and partnership working.
"Glasgow is rising to the challenge of turning round the legacy of unsuitable accommodation and is making new provision for some of the city's most vulnerable people.
"The extensive homelessness programme in Glasgow rightly does much more than provide people with a roof over their head. It works to help tackle the many issues which lead people into homelessness in the first place - such as drug abuse, mental health problems, alcohol abuse or domestic violence - and these must be addressed if we are to assist people to rebuild their lives.
"That's why the Executive has made a continuing commitment to this programme of more than £60 million over the next three years."
Councillor John McKenzie, Convener of Social Care Services at Glasgow City Council, speaking for the Glasgow Homelessness Partnership, said:
"The hostel closure programme is one of the most important policies of this council and will revolutionise the way homeless services are provided in Glasgow.
"We now have a single assessment, covering benefits, accommodation, health, etc. when someone registers for the first time and in future, community living will help to further remove the stigma associated with homelessness in our society. This centre is a flagship for the kind of close support that decreases the chance of someone falling into long-term homelessness."
From 1997 until 2003-04, £63 million was committed to the RSI programme by the Executive.
Local authorities have been allocated £10 million per year for years 2004-05 to 2007-08 through the RSI programme.
This is in addition to £20 million per year for years 2004-05 to 2007-08 for implementation of the Homelessness etc (Scotland) Act 2003 and the Homelessness Task Force recommendations.
The Final Evaluation of the Rough Sleepers Initiative is published as part of the Executive's Social Research series and the research was undertaken by the Centre for Housing Policy at the University of York.
This research was designed to:
assess the extent to which RSI funding has been used effectively to help eliminate the need for rough sleeping in Scotland
- to examine the extent and effectiveness of the mainstreaming of RSI services
- assess the effectiveness of current monitoring systems
- produce recommendations on future practice for the delivery and monitoring of services to meet the needs of rough sleepers, in order to sustain a position where no-one need sleep rough
The Executive has committed £20 million per year for years 2004-05 to 2007-08 to Glasgow City Council for the Hostel Decommissioning and Reprovisioning Programme.
Robertson House was the third large-scale (256 bed spaces), outdated hostel to close. Former residents have been resettled more suitable accommodation, in smaller flats and accommodation units and provided with support services to meet their needs. Garscube Road is one of many supported accommodation facilities now available.