Tackling homelessness as a councillor
Conclusion
For me to continue to play my part in working towards ending homelessness in Dundee I have found that I need to concentrate on certain aspects of my remit as a councillor. Here are the areas that I am currently tackling:
- making personal progress as a councillor and towards fulfilling my duty as elected representative for the people who live in my ward
- developing as Housing Convener, especially the changes I hope to oversee across a broad range of issues, although the homelessness agenda will be a priority
- making progress with Shelter, Scottish Council for Single Homeless, the Cyrenians, Dundee Survival Group and the anti-poverty forum to tackle the issues raised and highlight the plight of people in need
- acting as an advocate for change within the council and other groups to review the way that we look at homelessness, its causes and implementation of change
- reviewing how I work with my council colleagues to ensure that the issues are not used as a political football
- finally ensuring, along with the Housing Department, that homeless people are given a voice that is listened to and acted upon
If I can achieve success in all these areas then I feel that I will have been able to make a difference to the lives of homeless and potentially homeless people in Dundee.
If you would like to contact Chris to find out more about his work, please email practicescotland@shelter.org.uk in the first instance.
This article is also available in PDF format
The views expressed in the article are those of the author and not necessarily those of Shelter.
