Homeless Rights Project: Reflections

Over the summer, Legal Services Agency (LSA) partnered with the University of Glasgow’s Open Justice Centre (GO Justice) to deliver the Homeless Rights Project.

The collaboration placed student volunteers in Glasgow law centres to support solicitors in undertaking prevention of homelessness work – increasing their capacity to respond to Glasgow’s ongoing housing emergency.

Most of the clients supported through the project fell into two broad categories. The first group were individuals experiencing street homelessness, who required assistance to access homeless accommodation and enforce their statutory right to emergency housing. The second group consisted of people trapped in hotel accommodation far beyond the legal seven-day limit.

Case study:

Mr A had been street homeless for eight months before being placed in hotel accommodation by the local authority. While in the hotel, Mr A was obliged to travel to England to attend to an official commitment – leaving the night before as it was scheduled early in the morning. When he returned to the hotel the next day, he was told to leave. He was informed that as he had not stayed there for one night, he was deemed to have voluntarily given up his accommodation. All of his belongings had been thrown away.

Mr A was sleeping rough again. One night, his phone was stolen. Mr A was distressed when he attended our drop-in clinic.

We urgently contacted the local authority on Mr A’s behalf. Later that day, temporary accommodation was secured, which Mr A accessed that night.

While cases like Mr A’s highlight the difficulty people can face in accessing emergency temporary accommodation, others face a different problem – being housed in unsuitable temporary accommodation for extended periods of time. The Homeless Rights Project also took on many of these cases, which often involved families living in overcrowded conditions and disabled people placed in housing that was not appropriate for them in light of their health conditions.

Case study:

Ms B, her husband, and their children came to the UK fleeing war. On arrival in Glasgow, they spent two months in hotel accommodation provided by the local authority. A lack of cooking facilities meant the family relied on shop-bought prepared food, which was not financially sustainable or sufficiently nutritious for their diabetic children – whose health began to deteriorate. Their insulin required to be stored in a fridge at hotel reception.

We wrote to the local authority requesting suitable housing within 24 hours, failing which we were instructed to pursue judicial review. With no response, we secured urgent legal aid and instructed Counsel to draft a petition.

Within hours, a flat was offered – though it required our further invention to ensure it was safe and suitable. We provided the family with further advice on a potential Equality Act claim, given the impact of the hotel accommodation on the children’s health. Ms B and her family were very grateful for our support.

Reflecting on the project’s success, Alastair Houston, Partner in LSA’s Housing and General Court Department, said:

“The contribution of the students from the University of Glasgow enabled a valuable service to be provided to a number of vulnerable individuals, predominantly from the refugee community. Positive outcomes were obtained for almost all of those who required assistance and were obtained quickly, enabling staff and students to see the benefits of the service within the term of the project”

At the end of the ten-week project, 10 individuals and families who were experiencing street homelessness accessed urgent temporary accommodation. We also supported 6 others to move from unsuitable temporary housing to suitable accommodation. Work is ongoing on the remaining cases, highlighting the sustained support required to ensure people’s housing rights are adequately protected.

Fiona McPhail, who co-ordinated the project at the University of Glasgow, emphasised the value of the experience for the student-volunteers:

“It has been incredibly inspiring to hear the positive feedback from students who have been supporting solicitors in urgent and sometimes complex homeless cases. This collaboration with LSA has created an invaluable opportunity for them to develop some key lawyering skills whilst making a positive difference to the lives of some of the most marginalised in our society. The GO Justice Centre is keen to support law students progress into social justice careers. We are delighted to have been able to work with LSA on the Homeless Rights Project and hope that there will be further similar opportunities.”

This collaboration reflects LSA’s strategic objectives to build partnerships and invest in the next generation of social justice solicitors. By providing development opportunities for volunteers to enhance their skills, such as through the Homeless Rights Project, we aim to support them to make meaningful contributions to the social justice sector.

We are grateful to GO Justice and Fiona McPhail for facilitating this project, and to the participating law students – Hailey Schmidt, Mairi Taylor, and Amy McGilp – for their contributions.

Further reflections from student volunteers Hailey Schmidt and Amy McGilp on their involvement in the Homeless Rights Project are available on the University of Glasgow Law Student Blog. To read their reflections, please click here.