Veterans Housing Scotland

Veterans Housing Scotland received £907,071 in June 2023 under the Reducing Veterans Homelessness Fund for their project Reducing Homelessness for Scottish Veterans. A partnership between Veterans Housing Scotland (VHS) and the Defence Medical Welfare Service (DMWS), this project provides comprehensive and co-ordinated support services to the Veteran community in Scotland to address homelessness, tenancy sustainment and welfare needs. This collaborative approach delivers improved wellbeing, reduced homelessness through increased housing stability, and better overall outcomes for Veterans in Scotland.

The project provides comprehensive support to disabled Veterans in Scotland to sustain their tenancies, reduce the risk of homelessness, and improve their quality of life. VHS provide 650 homes and support services to Veterans and their families throughout Scotland. A dedicated VHS Visiting Officer and DMWS Welfare Officer work together to identify and support Veterans who are finding it challenging to sustain their tenancies and progress successfully through the housing journey to independent living. For more complex and longer-term cases, a referral is made to DMWS for a full holistic assessment of need and direct support.

The project has progressed well with the combination of VHS and DMWS’ skills, expertise and service bringing enhanced value to the Veterans they support. The combined approach has also enabled the project to have greater reach through both VHS and DMWS’s shared networks.

By February 2024, the project had supported 199 beneficiaries and their families from across Scotland, spanning a range of age groups. Some are struggling with mental and physical health issues that make trying to secure a home difficult, some are struggling to engage in the civilian housing system, some have become homeless through substance misuse and financial issues.

The project continues to experience high levels of interest in housing places and the cases they support are varied and often complex with a variety of issues and concerns affecting the main beneficiary as well as their families. Beneficiaries have needed support for mental health issues, PTSD, alcohol misuse, support with financial concerns, help attending hospital appointments and support with the stress and anxiety of healthcare treatment. Overall, VHS have found that providing a safe home and enhanced welfare support is incredibly important for wellbeing and can help a wide range of beneficiaries rebuild their lives.

Kevin Gray MM, CEO of Veterans Housing Scotland, said: “I’m extremely proud of our partnership with the Defence Medical Welfare Service. The combined expertise and commitment of our teams is nothing short of outstanding. The partnership provides solutions; we’ve extended our reach to make a positive difference to people’s lives so they can enjoy better, brighter, and more secure futures. In short, our partnership is necessary, and it works.

“The scale of the challenges we have faced in a relatively short period has enforced the need for focused tenancy sustainment combined with a wrap-around wellbeing service through our partnership.”