No more homelessness in Scotland?

From the beginning of 2013, the Scottish Government has decreed that every council in Scotland must provide settled accommodation to anyone who is unintentionally homelessness.

Until now, it has been only those in priority need, such as families with dependent children, who have been recognised as in need of housing, but that has changed. The only stipulation is that the applicant must have become homeless through no fault of his or her own. There must be no question of having contributed to becoming homeless ‘through deliberate action or inaction.’ The arguments centred round this question can well be imagined, but removal of the priority need test will probably give around 3,000 more people a year the right to settled accommodation. It must be saluted as brave and humane-thinking move.