Fifty years on, Shelter Scotland says the issues still remain

A year-long series of events to mark Shelter Scotland’s 50th anniversary has been launched by the housing charity.

Although Scotland has made leaps forward in homelessness legislation and better-quality housing in since the charity formed in 1968, many of the factors that led to its formation still exist today, the charity said.

Director Graeme Brown said: “From our early days when we woke the nation and its politicians up to the shocking levels of poverty and deprivation people were enduring – all too vividly depicted through their appalling housing conditions – we hoped that a sense of national shame and the willingness to bring about lasting change would mean a quick end to bad housing and homelessness.

“We hoped that by now, there would be a decent home for everyone in Scotland.”

While good progress has been made, Brown says bad housing and homelessness still blights the lives of many thousands of people in Scotland – robbing them of their health, security and a fair chance in life.

“That’s why we are not celebrating our 50th – we shouldn’t really exist and there’s still so much more needs doing,” he said.

Brown added that through a year-long series of events and activities, under the banner We’re Still Fighting, the charity aims to re-engage people across Scotland with its core messages.