It is difficult to remember a time when global, UK and national events have aligned so acutely to heap even more pressure on Scotland's local housing systems.

Committed professional sectors from across the housing, homelessness and refugee sectors gathered at Scotland's Annual Homelessness Conference on October 31st to unlock solutions to these unprecedented challenges.

So Kieran Findlay and Jimmy Black packed up the recording equipment and headed to Perth Concert Hall for a special episode which captured the themes of the conference. Kieran chats to housing minister Paul McLennan about the Scottish Government's short and long-term plans to reverse the trend of homelessness before Jimmy catches up with Martin Smith, service manager at Perth and Kinross Council, a local authority that has achieved groundbreaking results on homelessness.

They reconvene for a roundtable discussion with Maggie Brünjes, Homeless Network Scotland's chief executive and Alan Jones, the housing manager for options and homelessness at Aberdeenshire Council, to share their thoughts on the conference and their asks of the Scottish Government. There will be biscuit chat!

Jimmy Black has written a blog to accompany the episode here: https://www.scottishhousingnews.com/articles/blacks-blog-homelessness-beating-the-backlog

Kieran Findlay is the editor of Scottish Housing News. Jimmy Black is a former Dundee housing convener and housing justice campaigner.

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