Equality and Human Rights Committee budget scrutiny - Shelter Scotland submission

Everyone needs good quality housing to live and thrive in: having a home is central to every aspect of our wellbeing, from health to educational attainment to happiness. Yet there are 10,000 households in temporary accommodation in Scotland; 14,000 children who are homeless; thousands who live in homes that are overcrowded or don’t meet their needs; and many more who are forced to sleep rough, on a friend’s sofa, or choose between heating or eating. For all these people, a good home is out of reach.

Housing is a human right, and is defined as such within the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But there is still work to do for that right to be realised in Scotland, and to make sure that everyone has access to a safe, secure and affordable home.

Shelter Scotland will be launching a campaign in August 2019 highlighting areas where individuals are struggling to access their rights in relation to housing, reflecting on gaps in legislation where the human right to adequate housing is not fully represented and where people’s legally enforceable rights in Scottish law are being denied. In many areas of housing law, there is very little enforcement which makes it very difficult to hold duty bearers to account. This is something Shelter Scotland struggles with in our case work. For further details on any of these areas of rights being denied, or for case study examples, please get in touch.