By Linzi Irvine, Housing Development Partner, Right There

“You can’t do your own thing. You can’t cook what you want, and even washing your clothes becomes difficult.” – Letang.

“This is the first home that I feel has been dedicated to me…” – Bantou

When people talk about temporary accommodation, the conversation often focuses on numbers. How many people need housing, how many homes are available and how long people are waiting to move on.

Those are important discussions, but they can sometimes miss the important issue of what it’s like for someone to live in temporary accommodation while they wait for a permanent home.

Recently, we spoke to two women living in one of our shared accommodation properties in Glasgow. Before moving in, Bantou and Letang had been staying in hotels while waiting for longer-term housing.

What stood out from that conversation was how often they talked about ordinary things that most of us probably take for granted. One spoke about not being able to cook her own food in a hotel. Another described the challenge of constantly relying on expensive and unhealthy takeaway food and launderettes. Both talked about how difficult it was to establish any sense of routine or independence.

Letang summed it up particularly well when she said: “You can’t do your own thing. You can’t cook what you want, and even washing your clothes becomes difficult.”

When they were offered the opportunity to move into a shared flat, they accepted. Neither knew each other beforehand, but they quickly formed a friendship. They now cook together, spend time together and support each other while they wait for more permanent housing.

Listening to them, it became clear that the biggest difference wasn’t simply having a roof over their heads. It was having a place that felt like a home. Bantou described it as “the first home that I feel has been dedicated to me”. Letang spoke about the joy of simply being able to invite friends round and spend time with people she cares about.

Those are exactly the sorts of outcomes we’re trying to achieve through Right There’s short-term housing model. We’ve developed an approach that makes greater use of the private rented sector, working alongside local authorities, landlords and letting agents to provide furnished homes for people who have experienced homelessness and need somewhere safe to live while waiting for permanent housing. These are homes where people can cook for themselves, maintain routines, access local services and continue to feel part of a neighbourhood rather than isolated from it.

Nobody would argue that temporary accommodation should become a substitute for permanent housing. The long-term aim must always be to help people move into secure, settled homes as quickly as possible. But while people are waiting, the quality of the accommodation they’re living in matters.

From my experience, good temporary housing gives people stability at a point in their lives when stability can be in very short supply. It gives them the space to rebuild routines, maintain relationships and start thinking about the future again. Those things may sound simple, but they often form the foundation that helps people move on successfully when the opportunity for a permanent home comes along.

Scotland’s homelessness challenges won’t be solved overnight. We need more affordable homes, more housing supply and continued investment across the system. At the same time, we shouldn’t lose sight of the experience of people currently living in temporary accommodation. Bantou and Letang both hope to have homes of their own one day, which is a goal we’re supporting them to achieve.

For now, they are happy building friendships, becoming part of their community and planning for the future, from a place that feels safe and stable. That’s the best illustration of what temporary accommodation should be doing: providing people with a home where they can live in safety and with dignity, not simply providing somewhere to stay.