South Lanarkshire Service for homeless celebrates anniversary

Sep 11 2008 by Lesley Brown, Hamilton Advertiser

SOUTH Lanarkshire Council last month celebrated 10 years of success in supporting the homeless.

At St John’s Parish Church, Duke Street a special reception was held to mark a decade since the relaunch of South Lanarkshire Resettlement and Support initiative.

The initiative is managed jointly by YMCA Glasgow and Barnardo’s Scotland in partnership with the council, and has helped more than 3200 individuals since its inauguration in 1998.

As well as providing emergency overnight accommodation to those in need, the initiative also assists with longer term solutions.

With the support of churches across Hamilton, Resettlement and Support operate a rent deposit scheme, which allows homeless individuals to secure private rented accommodation.

They also support those who have moved into rented accommodation to ensure they are able to settle long term and an outreach service is in operation to help people living in rural areas.

Resettlement and Support was previously known as the Rough Sleepers’ Initiative, and was renamed on its 10th anniversary to provide a more accurate representation of the service provided.

In 2007 the rent deposit scheme helped a total of 243 people. It prevented 43 cases of homelessness which, in turn, saved the council over £100,000 in emergency accommodation costs.

The service provided support for a further 170 people of whom 107 were homeless and 46 were sleeping rough.

Chief executive of YMCA Glasgow Joe Connolly, said: “Homelessness is often seen as a problem confined to big cities but, unfortunately, it exists in all parts of Scotland. Being made homeless can be a blow from which some people never recover.”