- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 February 2026
To ask the Scottish Government how many housing associations currently operate Housing First programmes.
Answer
The Scottish Government has published national monitoring reports on Housing First since 1 April 2021. These monitoring reports are publicly available on the Scottish Government website: Housing First: monitoring reports - gov.scot.
The Scottish Government does not collect or hold information on the number of housing associations operating Housing First programmes. The Scottish Government collects Housing First data from local authorities who have Housing First programmes
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 February 2026
To ask the Scottish Government how many people with learning disabilities currently have a Housing First tenancy.
Answer
The Scottish Government has published national monitoring reports on Housing First since 1 April 2021. These monitoring reports are publicly available on the Scottish Government website: Housing First: monitoring reports - gov.scot.
The Scottish Government does not collect or hold information identifying whether participants in Housing First tenancies have learning disabilities.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 February 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether any local authorities deliver specialist Housing First programmes to provide tenancies for young people leaving care.
Answer
Some local authorities (Glasgow, Fife and West Lothian) deliver Housing First programmes which have elements that focus on young people. By combining a national Housing First model with locally adapted interventions, these areas can offer stable accommodation and ongoing support for young people at risk of or experiencing homelessness.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 February 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider providing dedicated funding for the expansion of the Housing First programme.
Answer
The Scottish Government continues to support Housing First delivery across Scotland through funding for rapid rehousing and transition plans. By the end of March 2027, we will have allocated £84.5 million to local authorities for rapid rehousing and Housing First since 2018. This model gives local authorities the flexibility to direct funding towards whichever housing-led approaches best meet local needs.
The Scottish Government’s housing emergency action plan demonstrated our ongoing commitment to improving housing options for people with multiple and complex needs by including investment of £3 million capital and £1 million resource for the expansion of Housing First in 2025-26.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 February 2026
To ask the Scottish Government how many Housing First tenancies exist in each local authority.
Answer
The Scottish Government has published national monitoring reports on Housing First since 1 April 2021. These monitoring reports are publicly available on the Scottish Government website: Housing First: monitoring reports - gov.scot.
Since 1 April 2021, 1,320 Housing First tenancies have started across participating local authorities and 1,032 exist as of 31 March 2025.
Renfrewshire 130
Fife 100
Glasgow City 97
Aberdeenshire 70
City of Edinburgh 67
North Lanarkshire 66
North Ayrshire 60
Dundee City 59
Midlothian 59
Inverclyde 47
W. Dunbartonshire 42
Stirling 38
Aberdeen City 36
Falkirk 22
Moray 21
South Ayrshire 16
South Lanarkshire 16
Perth & Kinross 14
Dumfries & Galloway 13
East Ayrshire 12
East Lothian 11
Angus 9
Argyll & Bute 9
Western Isles 7
West Lothian 7
Information on the status of tenancies prior to 1 April 2021 may be obtained from the relevant local authorities.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 February 2026
To ask the Scottish Government how many third sector organisations are involved in supporting Housing First tenancies.
Answer
The Scottish Government has published national monitoring reports on Housing First since 1 April 2021. These monitoring reports are publicly available on the Scottish Government website: Housing First: monitoring reports - gov.scot.
The Scottish Government does not collect or hold information on the number of individual third sector organisations involved in supporting Housing First tenancies.
But Scottish Government monitoring data indicates that approximately 67% of Housing First support is provided by the third and independent sector.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 February 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider having discussions with COSLA, local authorities and the third sector to promote the expansion of Housing First.
Answer
Housing First is delivered through close partnership between the Scottish Government, COSLA, local authorities, and third sector organisations. Discussions between partners about the scaling up of Housing First take place, among many others, at the Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans sub-group - gov.scot. The Scottish Government will continue to work with this group to support delivery and the planned expansion of Housing First in line with local and national priorities.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 February 2026
To ask the Scottish Government how many care experienced people currently have a Housing First tenancy.
Answer
The Scottish Government has published national monitoring reports on Housing First since 1 April 2021. These monitoring reports are publicly available on the Scottish Government website: Housing First: monitoring reports - gov.scot.
The Scottish Government does not collect or hold information identifying whether participants in Housing First tenancies are care experienced.
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 February 2026
To ask the Scottish Government which third sector organisations are involved in supporting Housing First tenancies.
Answer
The Scottish Government has published national monitoring reports on Housing First since 1 April 2021. These monitoring reports are publicly available on the Scottish Government website: Housing First: monitoring reports - gov.scot.
The Scottish Government does not collect or hold information identifying which third sector organisations deliver Housing First support. Support services are commissioned by individual local authorities
- Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 16 February 2026
-
Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 February 2026
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider expanding the Housing First programme to support people with mental health difficulties to attain and sustain tenancies.
Answer
The Scottish Government has published national monitoring reports on Housing First since 1 April 2021. These monitoring reports are publicly available on the Scottish Government website: Housing First: monitoring reports - gov.scot.
Housing First is designed to support people with multiple and complex needs, including mental health difficulties.
Monitoring data indicates that, as of 31 March 2025, 83% of people supported within Housing First tenancies require mental health support.