The Local Government Committee takes evidence from Housing Minister Kevin Stewart on building and fire regulations and then on homelessness
MSPs quiz education ministers during portfolio questions
The Scottish government gives a ministerial statement on air quality
MSPs debate Paisley's 2021 UK City of Culture and Dundee's 2023 European Capital of Culture bids
SNP MSP Jenny Gilruth leads a debate on the Levenmouth Rail Link
Dr Neil Hamlet from NHS Health Scotland says people who are approaching Housing Options obviously have insecurity with housing.
Dr Hamlet says people may well be showing up to a GP with headaches and stress and the real problems lie in housing.
He says it would be ideal if solutions were written into primary healthcare legislation.
Image source, bbcJules Oldham from Homeless Action Scotland
Jules Oldham from Homeless Action Scotland says there is a lot of need for a Housing Options worker to have a wealth of knowledge.
Ms Oldham says there is a vast array of knowledge that is required.
She says she hopes to see a bit of momentum with the toolkit and he says Housing Options needs to move away from local authorities now,
Ms Oldham says picking up on mental health issues, for example, requires quite a skill set.
SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson says Shelter has raised concerns with the Housing Options model and asks for further thoughts on this and where improvements can be made.
Fiona King from Shelter Scotland says the organisation is 100% behind the Housing Options model when it is implemented correctly.
Ms King says it is a mature and holistic model but it is difficult to ration a "scarce resource".
She says the issue of people being denied access to services is an important one and it is anecdotal but that Shelter are being told it does happen.
"We do not want to see people being denied the right to make a homeless application," she says.
Ms King says, if the Housing Options model stops people from making a homeless application, then it is a problem.
Bridget Curran from Glasgow Housing Options highlights the importance of financial advice for people.
Ms Curran says with welfare reform people are more and more concerned about how they will manage.
She says Glasgow City Council is looking at housing options to deal with the benefit cap.
Image source, bbcBridget Curran from Glasgow Housing Options
SNP MSP Kenneth Gibson asks why the SLAB funding was cut to Glasgow Housing Opitons.
Ms Curran says she understands the £203,000 was directed somewhere else in Scotland.
Earlier the witness had highlighted the return of £18 for every pound of that funding.
She says: "Debt management is becoming a huge issue for people."
Dr Neil Hamlet from NHS Health Scotland says: "We face a bit of a perfect storm in terms of some of the impacts of welfare reform."
Dr Hamlet says the DWP are now explaining some of the measures that can be put in place.
He says there are promising pieces of work and it may be worth taking evidence from the DWP on this.
Image source, bbcJules Oldham from Homeless Action Scotland
Jules Oldham from Homeless Action Scotland says arrears are one of the biggest areas of concern with the roll out of Universal Credit.
Ms Oldham says there is a disjoint between homelessness teams and eviction teams in some local authorities.
She says the protocols across the country should be looked at emphasising the prevention case.
SNP MSP Jenny Gilruth asks if the panel agrees that the Scottish government cannot mitigate all of the UK government's welfare reforms.
Fiona King from Shelter Scotland says the problem with mitigating is that it is a long term expensive commitment.
She says the problems are piling up and and there are questions around how long the country can afford to mitigate the welfare reforms.
Bridget Curran for Glasgow Housing Options Steering Board says early intervention is important.
The role of housing associations is "absolutely essential".
Ms Curran says the joint approach of Housing Options has been important in this area.
Image source, bbcFiona King from Shelter Scotland says care leavers and prison leavers are over represented in homelessness.
Ms King says apart from being horrendous for the individual it is also more expensive to deal with.
She says services should be front loaded to allow earlier intervention than waiting for the point of crisis.
Image source, STEWART ATTWOODMore than 2,000 people have signed up to sleep rough in Edinburgh this December as part of Sleep in the Park to help homeless people.
It means the event, in West Princes Street Gardens, has already raised £500,000 - within just three weeks of launching.
Celebrities Liam Gallagher, Deacon Blue, Amy Macdonald and Frightened Rabbit are due to play unplugged.
It is being organised by Josh Littlejohn, co-founder of Social Bite.
Social Bite helps the homeless through cafes, a restaurant and fundraising events.
Dr Neil Hamlet from NHS Health Scotland says leaving care is a transition point where a person can fall into homelessness.
Dr Hamlet says there are transition points such as leaving home or leaving an institution and it is important to consider those and look at a preventative approach.
Fiona King from Shelter Scotland says temporary accommodation standards should be on a statutory footing.
Jules Oldham from Homeless Action Scotland says temporary accommodation should be looked at as something which can become more permanent.
Ms Oldham says another temporary let could be opened somewhere else and the accommodation that person is in could become a more permanent home.
She says a move away from six-in-a-block to individual accommodation would be beneficial.
Image source, Social BiteIn July we reported that a new village for homeless people will be up and running before Christmas.
The Social Bite Village in Edinburgh will be made up of 10 two-bedroom homes that can be moved and transported.
The village will be built on a 1.5-acre site of council land which has been given to Social Bite on a "meanwhile use" basis, meaning it can be used until the land needs to be developed.
The village will have a communal area where residents can eat together, socialise, work, learn and get support.
The houses in Granton are now under construction after more than 300 of Scotland's most influential people, including Olympian Sir Chris Hoy, slept rough overnight last December to raise the £500,000 needed for the project.
Image source, Social Bite
Image source, bbcBridget Curran from Glasgow Housing Options
Bridget Curran from Glasgow Housing Options says tenancy sustainment is important.
Ms Curran that means getting in as early as possilble to support vulnerable people.
She says describes the help given to young people in Glasgow.
Ms Curran says Slab (Scottish Legal Aid Board) funding was a huge help in supporting people but it was lost in March.
Dr Neil Hamlet from NHS Health Scotland says at the route of the temporary housing issue is the lack of social housing.
Dr Hamlet says there must be a change to the language because the homeless person needs restorative surroundings.
"I think we should talk about recovery accommodation," and focus on re-empowering that person, he says.
Image source, bbcFiona King from Shelter Scotland
Fiona King from Shelter Scotland says temporary accommodation is a huge issue and she is glad the committee is focusing on it.
Ms King says in an ideal scenario it would only be used for a short time.
She says unfortunately the average time in temporary accommodation is 24 weeks.
Ms King says it is an incredibly stressful time for people to be going in and out of accommodation.
She says Shelter has been helping a 16 year old girl with a two year old child who was offered a fairly unsatisfactory B&B or a Premier Inn at the side of motorway.
There is a need to improve the standard and decrease the time people spend in temporary accommodation, she says.
Ms Oldham says the B&Bs used are not like the ones where people may go on holiday. She says they are very basic rooms.
She says often the person will have to leave this accommodation at 8am and cannot return until 5pm. She says that individual must spend the day somewhere else.
Ms Oldham says this type of accommodation often does not even provide a cooking area and that it is simply a roof over the person's head.
Mr Simpson says he was particularly impressed by the submission on Glasgow Housing Options and the partnership working.
The Tory MSP says the committee has heard of real issues in temporary accommodation and asks for thoughts on this.
Jules Oldham from Homeless Action Scotland says it is difficult to paint a picture on temporary accommodation because people are often in and out of it.
Ms Oldham says bed and breakfasts are often being used and it has long been a goal to eradicate the use of B&Bs.
She says B&Bs are being used more and more and "that is simply unacceptable."
Dr Neil Hamlet from NHS Health Scotland says Finland has made some excellent progress on homelessness.
Dr Hamlet says examination of what they have done would bear fruit.
Image source, bbcDr Neil Hamlet from NHS Health Scotland
He outlines the 5 R's to eradicate homelessness