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Homelessness attitudes revealed in survey |
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Wednesday, 14 November 2007 |
Scots have a mixed attitude towards homelessness, results from the 2006 Scottish Social Attitudes Survey revealed today.
Results show that the majority of people relate homelessness to
sleeping rough, while nearly a fifth see a connection between drink and
drug abuse and homelessness. However, the vast majority of people do
not believe that homeless people cause or are involved in anti-social
behaviour. There were also divergent opinions on what priority the
homeless should get for council housing.
Stewart Maxwell, Minister for Communities and Sport, said: "These
findings are very helpful in painting a picture of people's attitudes
towards homelessness and homeless people. They show that while many
people are sympathetic to the situations homeless people find
themselves in, a number of preconceptions remain as a barrier to
understanding.
"For example, a common view appears to be that most homeless people
sleep rough at some point. I think it's important to recognise that
although, sadly, a minority of homeless people will end up on the
streets, the problem of homelessness affects a much greater number of
people who are in need of a home of their own and cannot obtain one.
"Many people appear to recognise that homelessness is, in the vast
majority of cases, no-one's 'fault' and is the result of societal
pressures and individual circumstances. It's the recognition of this
that prompted the introduction of Scotland's progressive homelessness
legislation to give all unintentionally homeless people equal access to
housing by 2012, to which the Government remains committed.
"I believe the majority of Scottish people support this approach, but
we must continue to work as hard as possible to make sure the
population at large sees the reasoning behind, and the value of, what
we are working towards."
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