Homelessness policy in Scotland is set for a major rethink following the introduction of a new government task force
Minister for communities Wendy Alexander said the task force would take an in-depth look at the causes of homelessness and draw up a new long-term strategy.

Campaigners hope the review, the first initiative to emerge from the housing Green Paper, will consider the impact of Gordon Brown's review of housing benefit and the New Housing Partnerships programme on the homeless.

It will be headed by social inclusion minister Jackie Baillie and will work with the homeless and project workers.

Alexander said: "We need to understand the causes and nature of homelessness in both rural and urban Scotland."

Officials are reportedly frustrated at the lack of sufficient information and statistics on the reasons behind the country+s high number of homeless.

The task force's information gathering is expected to feed into local authority performance assessment in preparing and implementing statutory homelessness duties.

Announcing the move during when visiting a project for rough sleepers run by Edinburgh council, Alexander said the task force -will work with and talk to the real experts "homeless people themselves."

She added: "Those who deal with homelessness issues on a daily basis will also help us get to the heart of the problem."

Homelessness charity Shelter Scotland called for the review to be wide-ranging and consultative. Director Liz Nicholson said: "It must look across policy areas and not focus on homelessness as solely a housing issue."

Source

Housing Today