Fife fears 50% rise in homelessness due to COVID crisis

An internal research report commissioned by Fife Council has found that the public health crisis will exacerbate an already rising problem with homelessness across the region. Homeless presentations to Fife Council rose by 10 per cent in 2018/19.

Councillors at Fife's community and housing services sub-committee were told that the end of the UK Government's furlough schemes will likely contribute to the rise in overall homeless presentations throughout 2020/21.

The council estimates that Covid-19 is currently delaying around 1300 waits for a home - and official figures show the number of homeless presentations hit a five-year quarterly high of 718 between July and September.

Gavin Smith, housing access services manager, told elected members: "Covid has presented a number of challenges...the ending of furlough and other economic impacts could increase presenting (as homeless) by 50 per cent."

Councillors heard that Fife Council had been responding well to those presenting as homeless prior to lockdown in March this year, but that housing services have been "squeezed" as a result of the impact of the virus.

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The council has sought to manage the additional demand by assembling a bank of temporary properties for those presenting as homeless, creating additional refuges managed by Fife Women's Aid and extending the use of temporary accommodation such as B&Bs.

These and other efforts will "see us through the crisis", Mr Smith said.

Meanwhile, elected members were also given an update on the local authority's Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan (RRTP) - a long-term project designed to put those presenting as homeless in stable, long-term housing as soon as possible without spending unnecessary time in temporary accommodation.

It turned 24 temporary 'scatter flats' into permanent tenancies between April and September while 371 starter/tenancy sustainment packs have been provided to homeless households moving into new homes to help them adjust.

The local authority is also partnering with the Rock Trust, a homelessness charity specifically targeting 16-25-year-olds, to create a 'Housing First' strategy that helps vulnerable young adults into sustainable tenancies while providing them with long-term support for other issues.

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