Disability and homelessness in Central and Northern Scotland
Jennifer Harris, University of Dundee
Co-author(s): T. Kroll
Abstract
The Scottish Executive has formulated national health policy targets to reduce inequities in health status and health care access, poverty and social exclusion (Blamey, Hanlon, Judge & Muirie, 2002) through concerted, cross-departmental action. Similar public policy priorities have been assigned to providing better support for individuals and families who are threatened by homelessness or without a fixed abode. A Homelessness Task Force (HTF) created in 1999 was instrumental in influencing the 2002 Housing Act that requires local authorities to provide permanent accommodation for all priority need households who are unintentionally homeless. A key target is to ensure that by 2012 every unintentionally homeless person will be entitled to permanent accommodation. However, little is known about the proportion of people who are homeless and have a disability in rural Central and Northern Scotland. Harris (2003) demonstrated that disabled people living in temporary accommodation in the UK (such as disabled asylum seekers) experience severe barriers in accessing social, health care and welfare benefits. Kroll (2002) in the United States showed that homeless disabled people face various challenges in maintaining health and in accessing health care services. Shelter residents highlighted concerns in the areas of safety, hygiene, privacy, and health service accessibility. Currently there is a lack of evidence concerning the extent of impairment within the homeless population. It is not known for example what barriers and challenges homeless disabled people face in interfacing with health and social care services, or what barriers to services exist within the systems and how might these be surmounted. We will present findings from a comprehensive scoping study which aims to detail the extent of the issues and challenges facing disabled homeless people, particularly in accessing health and social care services.