A SCHEME to tackle homelessness in East Renfrewshire has been approved by council chiefs.

Cabinet members have backed the rapid rehousing plan, which aims to reduce the amount of time people spend in temporary accommodation by giving them a settled home.

The proposals, which will now be submitted to the Scottish Government, set out how the council will focus on early intervention and prevention work, review how support is provided and assess its current temporary accommodation supply.

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Councillor Paul O’Kane said the ‘housing first’ principle had been proven to work in other areas, referring to Scandinavia, where he said it reduced offending and drug and alcohol abuse.

“We need to look at how it’s funded to make sure the right support is in place,” he stressed.
Council leader Tony Buchanan added: “It is the right way to go. When dealing with these issues, one of the most important things is for someone to have a roof over their head.”

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In 2017/18, there were 328 homeless applications in East Renfrewshire.

The Scottish Government set up the Homelessness and Rough Sleepers Action Group in October 2017 to produce short and long-term solutions to end homelessness and rough sleeping.