MORE supported accommodation for people to escape homelessness is needed according to a Scottish Government minister.

Paul McLennan, housing minister, visited a supported housing unit in Maryhill to hear recommendations of a new report calling for more investment in the model

The report called for supported housing to be offered as a settled, not temporary home, for the small proportion of people who don’t want or haven’t kept mainstream housing, giving them maximum choice and control over their lives.

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The minister said the Scottish Government would consider the recommendations.

He said the Maryhill unit, managed by Queen’s Cross Housing Association, was already making a difference to the young people it supports.

Asked if there should be more like it, he said: “Without a doubt, yes.”

The minister said there could be opportunities for social investors, that the government has met with, to get involved in similar projects.

He added: “There's no doubt there's a need for it because we've seen today speaking to three youngsters that it works and it's making a difference in their life.”

He noted that people with different issues can benefit from supported housing.

The minister added: “You see the benefits of supported accommodation.

“This is for young people, you have situations where it's people who are recovering from alcoholism from drugs, abuse and domestic abuse.

"There are different models to supported accommodation.

“Supported accommodation has a role to play, there's no doubt about that and we've seen an example of that today.”

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Homeless Network Scotland was one of the organisations launching the report.

Maggie Brunjes, chief executive, said: “Homelessness policy has undergone radical modernisation in recent years and transforming the way supported housing is used to support a small group of people is the final piece of the puzzle.

“While this report arrives in a landscape dominated by the housing emergency, it sets out all the evidence and the steps needed to reframe supported housing as an option that will help to address homelessness for people facing a range of social, health and economic disadvantages. Queens Cross Housing Association provides an excellent example of how that is done.”

Shona Stephen, Queen’s Cross Housing Association, chief executive, said: “We are very proud of the exceptional quality of accommodation provided by Queens Cross Housing Association and by its Housing First for Young People support team. 

“We work together to provide homes for young people and the support needed to allow them to flourish in their tenancies.”

Sally Thomas, Chief Executive at the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations said: “It’s essential that our housing system is fair and meets everyone’s needs, particularly at a time of a national housing emergency and record homelessness.

“This vital report sets out the importance of a joined-up, multi-agency approach and one of the core aims is to help to reduce the stigma of supported housing."