The unequal risk: an equality lens in housing and homelessness

A half-day course giving you an awareness of entrenched inequalities and practical actions we can take to design a more accessible, inclusive and equitable approach to ending homelessness in Scotland.

We are not all at equal risk of homelessness. Every individual will experience a unique set of circumstances, carry with them their own previous experiences and face different barriers in their journey to a new home. Some groups of people are systematically disadvantaged in the housing system.

In Scotland we have a legal framework that includes the Equality Act (2010) and the Scotland Specific Duties, which mean that local authorities and services providers must assess the impacts of strategies and services. Yet we know that inequalities persist.

Join us for this reflective course to think through how we can better listen to and represent diverse communities who experience homelessness. We will introduce you to the evidence in Scotland, underpinning legislation and some practical tools to create better homelessness services.

By the end of the course, you will be able to:

1. Recognise the systemic inequalities and who is most at risk of experiencing homelessness
2. Explore the relevant legal duties within the Equality Act (2010) to homelessness service providers and employers
3. Analyse the barriers to equality present in homelessness services and design processes
4. Make decisions with an equality lens to ensure that prevention work represents the diverse communities of people affected by housing insecurity
5. Reflect on what you need to continue to learn about to be proactive about inequality

Please contact Homeless Network Scotland if you want to attend any of our training courses, but don’t have an organisation funding your place. We sponsor some free training places throughout the year for students and people who are unwaged or using homelessness services. The Frontline Network also has a training fund available.