At the end of a 10-year battle to end homelessness, our panel will explore how the Scottish government's ambitious programme is working, from 12-2pm on Monday 25 March

Scotland's progressive legislation promised to abolish homelessness by equalising rights for a permanent home for all homeless people. The ambitious 10-year programme deadline passed at the end of 2012 with councils now compelled to remove the distinction between 'priority' and 'non-priority' homeless households.

With a shortage of social homes to house homeless families, local authorities are under pressure to improve their preventative work to cope with the new rules. Yet by improving links with other partners from the voluntary, social care and health sectors, as well as providers in the private rented sector, they have already cut the number of homelessness applications in Scotland by 20% in 2011-12, and a further 13% in 2012-13.

However, fears have been raised over local authorities discouraging people in housing need from making a formal homeless application. There is a gap between a local authority acknowledging it has a duty to help – which under new regulations, it must – and actually being able to provide a permanent home for a homeless person. Even the most innovative preventative work cannot overcome a shortage of social housing.

So is Scotland's ambitious homelessness policy achieving its aims? What impact is the removal of the non-priority status having on homeless people and local authorities? How are councils coping with the changes? And what lessons can be learned by countries that have not made homelessness a political priority?

Join our expert panel from midday on Monday 18 March to take part in the discussion.

Panel

Marion Gibbs is team leader of the homelessness team in the Scottish Government. During this time the 2012 homelessness target has been met and local authorities have adopted the housing options approach in Scotland which has led to a renewed focus on the prevention of homelessness

Professor Isobel Anderson is chair in housing studies at the University of Stirling, where she leads research on governance, welfare and social inequality. She has researched and published on housing policy, homelessness, and interprofessional working to meet housing and welfare needs

Fiona King is policy officer at Shelter Scotland based in Edinburgh. Her work focuses on homelessness legislation, housing options and homelessness prevention including eviction policy and tenancy sustainment

Robert Aldridge is chief executive of Homeless Action Scotland, formerly Scottish Council for Single Homeless, the membership organisation for organisations and individuals tackling homelessness in Scotland

Clare Mailer is homelessness service manager at Perth and Kinross council. Her team is responsible for all aspects of homelessness, housing options and a range of private sector initiatives. Clare also chairs the Tayside, Fife and central housing options hub

Katey Tabner is research fellow at the Rock Trust, who assist young people affected by homelessness across Edinburgh and the Lothians. Katey is responsible for the Beyond Homelessness project researching the impact of support networks for those affected by homelessness

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