More homeless people have been housed by the Council since a policy change in their favour members of Stirling Council have heard.

At the meeting of the Council on Thursday 11 December members were informed that in the first six months of 2008 following the policy change 56% of all council house allocations were made to homeless applicants. In the same period the previous year only 37% of all council lets were made to homeless applicants.

The Housing Allocations policy was amended in January 2008 to increase the share of lets made to homeless applicants from Council properties as well as through nominations to housing associations.

Members also heard that more temporary homeless accommodation had become available over the past year including 19 flats in central Stirling with a further 10 planned in the new year.

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"Having a home of your own is something most of us take for granted but some people, for a variety of reasons, find themselves without this basic security. It is my primary aim that this administration will make a difference to those people affected by homelessness.

"We will do this by building new council houses, increasing the availability of suitable temporary accommodation for rent as well as helping to prevent homelessness in the first place," said Councillor Alasdair MacPherson, Executive Member and Housing Portfolio Holder.

He explained: "Over the next five years we plan to build 244 new Council homes for rent. This will be complemented by plans by local housing associations to build 887 new homes for rent. We are also actively looking for more temporary properties that we can rent to homeless families. In terms of preventing homelessness we now have two housing options officers who work closely with families and individuals who are at risk of losing their home."

He finished by saying: "As an administration we are committed to achieving the Scottish Government’s 2012 target of the abolition of priority need for homeless applicants."

Members agreed to continue with the current allocations policy until a revised policy was brought forward in the new year, along with a new temporary accommodation strategy that will reduce the usage of bed and breakfast accommodation.

(GK/JM)