Aberdeen City Council joins network to tackle homelessness

Aberdeen City Council has announced it is joining a new collaborative network across the UK aimed to tackle homelessness.

The Centre for Homelessness Impact created the What Works Community to support local authorities to improve its response to homelessness issues.

It is the first of its kind in the UK and follows a successful pilot programme with three council areas in 2019/20, which focussed on tackling local issues in the private rented sector.

Councillor Sandra Macdonald, Aberdeen City Council’s housing spokeswoman said: “We have joined the What Works Community as part of a strong commitment to reducing homelessness, and the use of temporary accommodation, across Aberdeen.

“We believe that everyone in Aberdeen deserves to live in good quality sustainable homes, which they can afford and that meet their needs.

“Whilst we have been refining our services and are already seeing improvements, there is still work to be done if we are to move towards an end to homelessness in our area.

“We are excited to take this opportunity to focus on the evidence of what works and develop positive outcomes, designed with our local community in mind.”

Councils taking part in 2021, including Aberdeen, will benefit from free guidance from thought-leaders around the world and will receive training and resources from the Centre for Homelessness Impact, Johns Hopkins University, the Behavioural Insights Team and IDEO.

Dr Ligia Teixeira, CEO of the Centre for Homelessness Impact added: “I am delighted to welcome all of the local authorities into the latest What Works Community cohort. By joining the programme they are showing a true dedication to effective programme solving and improving outcomes for everyone in their communities.

“The needs of local authorities are as diverse as the communities they represent and we’re excited to be working with a variety of new councils who bring unique challenges to the table.”