Scotland

Scottish government provides £1.6m funding boost for housing projects



The Scottish government has announced £1.6m of grants to tackle homelessness and improve housing, particularly for the most vulnerable.


Seventeen projects successfully applied for the Housing Voluntary Grant Scheme (HVGS) 2018/19, which assists third sector organisations in delivering housing-related projects and services.

The most recent round of funding will provide funding for projects which include support for people at risk of homelessness, enabling independent living for the elderly, disabled people and veterans, and providing support and advice services for refugees.

The successful projects include Rock Trust, which will receive £47,000 of funding to support A Way Home Scotland – a national coalition to end youth homelessness.

“Tackling and preventing homelessness and improving housing is of utmost importance as we work to make sure everyone in Scotland has a safe and warm place to call home,” said housing minister Kevin Stewart.

“The third sector plays a vital role in supporting many of Scotland’s most vulnerable people, who can be faced with anxiety over their housing situation and the possible threat of homelessness.

“These projects will offer invaluable advice and support to help tackle those issues.

“We are clear in our commitment to tackling and ending homelessness and recognise that this requires more than just the provision of housing as every individual has their own unique needs and challenges.

“That’s why I’m delighted to announce this funding, which will help provide support for so many across Scotland.”

Katie Polson, chief executive at Rock Trust, added: “We are delighted to receive an award through the Scottish government’s Housing Voluntary Grant Scheme.

“This will enable us to drive forward the work of the A Way Home Scotland coalition, which aims to end youth homelessness in Scotland.

“The coalition will support organisations across Scotland to develop systems and practices in their local area to ensure that young people are able to avoid, resolve and move on from homelessness using youth-specific methods.

“The post – which is funded – will ensure that young people are leading the solutions and are able to share and develop them in each local area.”



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