Fife Council is making progress on tackling the challenges of homelessness and the use of temporary accommodation in the area.

Councillors at a meeting of the council's Cabinet Committee discussed the ways the council is working to reduce homelessness through the Ending Homelessness Together Programme Board.

Positive progress has been made in reforming housing access and homelessness services but the report also highlighted the difficulties created by the significant pressures facing services.

Head of the council's housing service John Mills explained: "Fife is currently managing homelessness services in the context of unprecedented pressures on temporary accommodation which stem from the long-term effects of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis.

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"We're working to maximise housing supply and continuing to deliver the Affordable Housing Programme but we are calling on the Scottish Government for more investment to meet the needs of those presenting as homeless and in housing need more generally."

Now the council is producing a Homelessness Reduction Plan which will be discussed with the Housing Minister and key Scottish Government staff to bid for additional financial and non-financial resources to deliver key priorities.

Council Leader David Ross said: “We are doing everything we can to support people and make sure everyone has access to good quality, affordable, sustainable homes.

"A range of measures is in place to help us transform homelessness services which place Fife at the forefront of service design innovation. We are adding around 300 additional units of temporary accommodation from our own stock, partners' stock and private rented accommodation. We have also committed to building a further 1,250 new council houses in Fife over the next five years.

"Since 2012, our affordable housing programme has delivered 7,400 new affordable houses making the programme one of the biggest in Scotland."