Housing First expansion will help more people find a home

World Homelessness Day is Saturday 10 October, and Fife Council is expanding its Housing First programme to help more people find and keep a home.

Approved by the Ending Homelessness Together Board, the programme will grow from 115 to 200 tenancies. This will help more people with complex needs access a stable home and personalised support.

The expansion comes as partners across Fife continue to strengthen efforts to prevent homelessness and provide support at an earlier stage. During 2025/26, more than 2,600 homelessness applications were made to Fife Council, while 530 children were living in temporary accommodation. Local analysis has identified relationship breakdown, domestic abuse, eviction, poverty, rent arrears, mental health challenges and substance use as some of the main factors contributing to homelessness.

Housing First is being delivered through a partnership approach involving Fife Council, Turning Point Scotland and a range of organisations working across housing, health, education, communities and the third sector.

As part of the programme's growth, Bethany Christian Trust, Fife Women's Aid and Rock Trust will develop a new Housing First for Tenants model. The initiative will provide additional support for people already living in their tenancy who may need help to prevent homelessness and remain in their home.

The expansion also builds on wider work already underway across Fife. The area has been selected as one of Scotland's national Ask and Act prevention pilots, bringing organisations together to identify housing risks earlier and take action before homelessness occurs. Plans are also progressing for a new project aimed at preventing youth homelessness by supporting families experiencing relationship difficulties and other challenges that can place young people at risk.

The Housing First expansion reflects Fife's continuing commitment to preventing homelessness, improving outcomes for people facing housing difficulties and ensuring more people can access and sustain a safe, secure home.