NICOLA STURGEON has backed the expansion of a housing project which has been credited with ending homelessness in Scandinavia.

The “housing first” model provides homeless people with a permanent home first before addressing any other issues they have, such as drug addiction, in support that is tied to the tenancy. By keeping people off the streets and out of temporary accommodation, the project has been credited with giving homeless people a much better chance of turning their lives around.

A number of “housing first” trials have taken place across Scotland and now the First Minister has said she would like to see this idea expanded.

She said: “The housing first model is already being used in certain parts of Scotland with quite significant success, and it is an approach that I am very interested to see extended by us and local authorities.”

Speaking to MSPs on the convenors committee earlier this month, she added: “I agree with the underpinning principles of the housing first model, because the approach is about responding very quickly to initial need but also looking at how a package of support can be put around somebody who is homeless and needs accommodation.”