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According to the latest Scottish Government statistics, there were 8,319 young people registered as homeless in Scotland in 2019/2020. This is a concerning figure as it represents almost 26% of the entire Scottish homeless population, even though young people only make 12% of the nation’s total population!
Callum, 23, left care at 18 and found a flat, but after some time the flat became unaffordable. After becoming homeless, his mental health then deteriorated to the point that he also lost his job. He used the Depaul UK Nightstop service before the charity offered him longer-term accommodation. With financial support from Depaul UK, he gained the qualifications needed to begin working for the fire service. His dream is to become a firefighter.
Many people think that ‘homelessness’ is simply another word for ‘rough sleeping’ (sleeping on the streets). However, sleeping rough actually accounts for just 7% of all homelessness in Wales. The different types of homelessness are outlined here.
Riverside, Stoll, Alabaré and Launchpad are the four main providers of supported housing for veterans in the United Kingdom. Director of Operations at Riverside Lee Buss-Blair tells us how they have been working together to highlight the growing crisis they face and the significant risk of collapse of specialist housing for homeless veterans.
How much do you really know about homelessness? There’s many common myths about homelessness out there. And those myths don’t often portray homeless persons in a positive light. To add to this, most of these assumptions are all too often untrue.
Up until her sixth birthday, Shannon and her brother had lived in the care system. She settled in West Norwood after her adoptive parents, having originally planned on adopting one child, took in both siblings. But growing up for six years uncertain, unstable, and confused had eroded Shannon’s mental health and sense of self-worth.
Sarah’s words, speaking to my colleagues at Shelter Scotland, show that the right to housing is often not realised for people on the sharp end of the housing emergency. Sarah was pregnant at the time, and she was still denied the right to a safe and affordable home.
