Positive response to homelessness

Almost 1000 people either homeless or facing the prospect of losing their home were rehoused by Dundee City Council last year according to a new report.

The figures, which show that the council met its statutory duty in 100% of cases are revealed in a review of year five of the Scottish Government -funded Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP).

Mark Flynn convener of the council’s neighbourhood regeneration, housing and estate management committee said: “While there was a 3% reduction in people presenting as homeless last year there was a full duty to rehouse in 993 applications. Of those we found permanent accommodation for 721.

“But positive as this is, we know that there is still more to be done in the coming year to tackle things like the length of time people spend in temporary accommodation and the number of people who are still waiting for an offer of a permanent house.”

The RRTP notes that during year five (2023/2024) temporary accommodation capacity increased in Dundee by 38% from the previous year but B&B accommodation continued to be used to meet demand.

To tackle the ongoing challenges posed by homelessness in the coming year the plan outlines a number of activities. These include:

reducing the use of B&Bs by bringing void properties back into use through the void recovery improvement plan;
matching homeless applicants to suitable void properties at an earlier stage of the allocation process;
exploring a procurement strategy to source temporary accommodation in the private sector;
using the private rented sector where it is suitable to do so for applicants who wish to be housed in specific areas or house types; and
increasing preventative measures through a strategic working group.

The neighbourhood regeneration, housing and estate management committee meets on Monday (October 28).