Homelessness has been an ever increasing problem over the last 5-10 years across all of Scotland. While the causes differ somewhat across the different regions of Scotland, one prominent one across many regions appears to be the combined effects of a lack of affordable housing (eg. in Edinburgh the vast majority of new constructions are "luxury accommodation" with less than 10% of new build being affordable or council housing) and the purchase of housing properties either as holiday homes (for both Scottish residents and non-residents) or for letting as part time accommodation (AirBnB type renting). As the right to shelter is enshrined as a basic human right by the UN, the Scottish parliament should prioritise action to reduce homelessness throughout the country by increasing access to safe accommodation and effective pathways back into the workforce, among other practices
This content is created by the open source Your Priorities citizen engagement platform designed by the non profit Citizens Foundation