HOUSEHOLDERS are being invited to help tackle Fife's emergency housing shortage by taking people into their homes.

Dalgety Bay and Inverkeithing councillor David Barratt expressed hope that the initiative would be welcomed by West Fifers.

"We have also seen the success of the homes for Ukraine scheme and I would like to think that communities would be just as willing to allow homeless people if they have spare rooms available," he told fellow members of Fife Council's cabinet committee.

During discussions on Fife’s Rapid Rehousing Transition Plan, and a plan to increase the “Housing First” programme, Cllr Barratt called on more to be done to look at solutions to tackle the shortage of emergency accommodation across the Kingdom.

"We have turned people away when they most need us and this is the most extreme pressure this service has been under in decades," he said.

"In my view, we are needing a full briefing on this and a commitment to explore more novel solutions and by that I do not mean the suggestion that David Ross can correct what he said in the Dunfermline Press that we can resolve this in any way by working with neighbouring local authorities to house our individuals.

"It is bad enough that temporary accommodation often results in people being separated from their communities, their place of work, their support networks but in any way to suggest we should house people outside of Fife, I think is quite shocking.

"I appreciate temporary accommodation is meant to be a last resort. Let's find a way of putting money in people's hands so they can book themselves in (to B&Bs)."

Housing service manager Gavin Smith told councillors that he has never known the situation to be so acute – and said work would be done to promote schemes where spare rooms could be allocated where possible.

"I cannot simply sweep under the carpet," he acknowledged. "Emerging from the pandemic, our housing and homelessness services are facing unprecedented pressures, and our staff are working week to week to deliver on a range of services, making sure that no one is left without support.

"The direct and indirect impacts will continue to be felt for some time through the housing access system and on the needs of households approaching services for help.

“We are doing everything we can to support people at this time and we are considering lots of different ways to help. A range of measures is in place to help us transform homelessness services which we hope place Fife at the forefront of service design innovation.”

Housing spokesperson, Councillor Judy Hamilton said the number of households using the service had reached unprecedented levels.

"The pandemic had the combined effect of not only slowing the housebuilding programme but it increased the amount of people presenting as homeless.

"Since the first covid lockdown, we've seen a steady increase in the numbers of families and children looking for temporary accommodation, which brings its own challenges. The council is also responding to a significant legal decision which has severely affected the numbers of temporary accommodation available in the short term.

"We are adding around 300 additional units of temporary accommodation from our own stock, partners' stock and private rented accommodation.

"Working with partners we are looking at every possibility and option to put new solutions in place, including property acquisitions, and I accept that it is a very challenging situation.

"We are monitoring the situation very closely and officers are working to put solutions in place on a daily basis and doing all we can to support people who urgently need our help.”