Why building houses is not the only solution to Scotland's homelessness problem
Everyday life is more expensive, resources are scarce, and the threat of homelessness is closer than it’s been in my lifetime.
Set up in the 1960s, Cyrenians was built on a very simple concept: that those experiencing homelessness are no different to you or I. Starting with communities, where people who were facing or recovering from homelessness lived side by side with volunteers, our charity has since blossomed into something much bigger.
We run therapeutic gardens, recovery houses, mediation services and work hard to foster employment skills and build confidence and community. Our work is varied and broad but under it all is that same simple belief that homelessness is the result of a series of systemic failures that can happen to anyone and can be prevented.
We are now a few months away from Scotland’s next general election – the eighth I’ve experienced as a charity leader, a politician and – many years ago – a minister. In that time, much has changed.
I’ve experienced and witnessed, within the communities I live and work in, a significant drop in living standards. Everyday life is more expensive, resources are scarce, and the threat of homelessness and destitution is closer than it’s been in my lifetime.
New social homes needed
This is a difficult thing to witness – and can be a life-defining experience. According to the latest statistics, 40,688 people in Scotland presented as homeless last year. That’s 6,319 more than five years ago.
The simplest conclusion to draw from those statistics is that we need more social housing. And that is indisputable. A report by homeless charity Shelter estimated we need 78,465 new social homes over the next five years and I wholeheartedly agree.
However, it would be remiss of me – as head of an organisation working to mitigate the consequences of poverty and broken systems – to leave it at that. We cannot build our way out of homelessness.
Why do people become homeless?
Housing is desperately needed – and I expect all of Scotland’s political parties to reflect that in their manifestos – but I also want them to go further and ask why people are presenting as homeless in the first place?
Like many charities, Cyrenians is launching a manifesto which I hope will help policy developers address that question. For me, it’s the result of over 60 years of work in this field, and the wisdom that lives within this charity.
We don’t just look at the numbers, we talk to the people who’ve experienced homelessness and worked within homelessness. People who understand the complexity of this situation, and what that means for policy.
The wisdom of community
The Cyrenians’ manifesto will be available from Friday. But what I really want to ask Scotsman readers is this: who are the experts in your community, what are they doing to tackle the problems you’re facing, and how can their wisdom inform your vote?
I think most of us will find that it is on the streets and in our diverse community spaces that these answers lie – not online forums where bad actors spread misinformation and sow division.
As I look back over the decade, it’s clear to me we overcome problems when we step back, take a wider look at the problem and figure out where we stand. As Cyrenians has changed with the times, one thing has always remained clear. We are nothing without the wisdom of community. And I hope our next government understands that.
Ewan Aitken is chief executive of Cyrenians
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