West Lothian addresses rising homelessness with a new local strategy, tackling housing shortages and seeking funding for prevention.
West Lothian struggles like other councils. Housing shortages grew during the plan. Cutbacks and living costs made it worse too. Local housing officers have a new idea.
They want to focus on local solutions. This “holistic” approach could really help. It aims to reduce people in B&Bs. The numbers show a big problem.
Temporary housing stays are much longer now. It went from 91 to 141 days since 2019. More families with kids live in bad places. Housing demand outstrips available homes.
West Lothian declared a housing emergency. A third of Scottish areas did the same. This was also declared nationally. An aging housing supply creates challenges.
More people seek homeless services too. The private rental sector has shrunk recently. Social housing decreased last century. The council works hard with its partners daily.
They explore new building ideas, creatively. They prioritize prevention for those at risk. They ensure compassionate services locally. Sarah Kelly spoke about the three-year plan.
It wants to cut area homelessness significantly. The plan builds on past lessons learned, successfully. It supports complex needs well meeting rises in demand.
Kelly said the plan manages future demand.
It uses local partnerships to do this. The plan prioritizes homelessness prevention efforts. It boosts housing access and support. Councillor McGuire asked about government funding.
Would Holyrood fund homeless prevention? Kelly said current funding is year-to-year only. Nothing is set past 2026 to fund this help. This year’s funding dropped by £40,000, sadly.
She doesn’t know future strategic direction. Councillor de Bold wanted specific details. He asked what will change and by how much. He also asked how they will measure success.
Kelly said the new plan replaces a central one. No national repeat of old plans exist. A local strategy is needed to meet needs. Kelly thinks success means fewer people homeless.
Getting people housed quickly is vital. This links housing demand with housing supply. If approved, partners will see the plan first. Then, the council and others will use it.
Stuart Sommerville, is a local democracy reporter. The BBC funds the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Local news provides it. It gives news about local government. It also tracks public service groups.