World Homelessness Day 2026

That the Parliament welcomes World Homelessness Day 2026, which is marked annually on 10 October, as an important opportunity to reflect on the impact of the housing emergency and to renew a collective commitment to ending it; acknowledges that the latest statistics indicate a significant rise in rough sleeping, especially in Edinburgh where the number of people rough sleeping the night before presenting as homeless has risen by 78%; recognises the significant impact that rough sleeping can have on a person's health and happiness and the urgent need for increased funding for prevention; acknowledges that the underlying problems at the heart of these figures go beyond a lack of affordable housing and include poor mental health, domestic abuse, substance dependency and a lack of supported accommodation and notes calls for investment in services which address those issues; commends the work of Cyrenians in these areas, working nationally and across Central and the East of Scotland to tackle the causes and consequences of homelessness; thanks Cyrenians staff, volunteers, supporters and partners who take a compassionate, person-centred and practical approach to supporting people experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness, and commits to sustained partnership across government, local authorities, the third sector, communities and people with lived experience.