Crisis Report, A Window of Opportunity

That the Parliament welcomes the publication of the Crisis report, A Window of Opportunity, which examines people’s routes into homelessness in Scotland; notes with concern that the report concludes that "opportunities for public services to provide support to help people keep their homes are being repeatedly missed"; understands that the main findings of the report include an indication that people who become homeless are in touch with public services in the six-month period before a formal homeless application is made, that there are a number of interlinked factors that contribute to and prevent homelessness, and that many people who have experienced homelessness will not be able to achieve housing stability unless they are given ongoing support for unmet needs; notes that the report’s recommendations include an ask of the Scottish Government to establish a national communication strategy to educate the general public around the triggers for housing instability, and suggest that clear, measurable standards for cross-sector working to sustain homes are required; further notes the view that all of the findings and subsequent recommendations contained within the report demonstrate a requirement for the Scottish Government to prioritise preventing people from experiencing homelessness in the first place; recognises that the issues highlighted within the report will affect people who have experienced or are at risk of homelessness in the Highlands and Islands region; thanks Crisis for undertaking what it sees as this important research and for the production of an accessible document to accompany it, and notes the encouragement for the Scottish Government, in the context of the Programme for Government 2024-25 referring to the aspiration of the Housing (Scotland) Bill, to place "an emphasis on prevention through holistic support", and to reflect on how it can deliver on the recommendations contained within the report, with a view towards fewer people requiring access to homelessness services in the Highlands and Islands region, and across Scotland, in the future.