1. Understanding Tenant Needs

2. Communications and Policy Campaigns & Public Affairs
How we operate
Shelter Scotland is Scotland’s national housing and homelessness charity, founded in 1968
Services
Communications and Policy
Training
Marketing
Media
Digital
Policy & Research
Campaigns & Public Affairs
Projects

3. How we campaign
Policy led and data driven – evidenced policy and robust data will drive and inform all our campaign work
Outcome focused – all of our campaigns will have clear outcomes or goals
Consistent messaging – we will reinforce and re-imagine our core messaging, rather than reinvent. Our core purpose remains the same
Shareable content – visual, shareable and mobile friendly content will be at the heart of all our campaigns to ensure people hear our messages
Conversation and collaboration – we will continually and meaningfully engage with our community of service users, supporters and stakeholders to develop opportunities for as wide a range of people as possible to become champions/advocates for our campaigns
Integration – we always work better together and we will support all our work with detailed plans and implementation models

4. Our services impact
Last year over 17,000 cases were opened by our advisors across Scotland
Of which, over 12,000 came from our Free National Helpline
46% of helpline calls were from people in the private rented sector
The main problems dealt with in our non-helpline cases are eviction and possession action, homelessness, debt and struggling with housing costs
834,000 unique visits to Get Advice content last year   ​
around 75,000 per month 
4,000 Live chat sessions by volunteer advisors

5. Our campaigning impact
Over 10,000 registered supporters in Scotland
41 policy documents researched and uploaded to our Policy Library in 2015/16
Directly influenced major pieces of Holyrood legislation: PRS Tenancy Bill, Land Reform Bill, Lobbying Bill, Community Justice Bill
3 major annual Policy Conferences (Homelessness, PRS, Empty Homes)
Street campaign days across the country, year round

6. Types of data and insight we use
Insight from our services – 17,000 cases last year, analysis of presenting problems, outcomes secured, tenancy type, geography and gender etc
Analysis of national statistics – Homelessness statistics, housing conditions, tenure type, poverty statistics, fuel poverty stats, social security data
Commissioned and desk based research – Commission on Housing & Wellbeing, Affordable Housing Need in Scotland, analysis of temporary accommodation data, local homelessness analysis
Sector networking – JHPDG, HPSG, Health and Homelessness Group, CPG on Housing, sector committees & roundtables etc
Public polling – on general trends or specific issues. Ensuring legitimate sample size across tenure is vital to both integrity of our brand and insight

7. Example 1
Manifesto for Homes

8. National data

9. Public polling data

10. "There is a growing gulf between the housing haves and have-nots."
How do you make people care?
Year
Annualised median income (bus driver)
Average House Price (Scotland)
Income to House Price Ratio
1968
£1,253
£4,391
3.5
2015
£23,603
£200,597
8.5
"There is a growing gulf between the housing haves and have-nots."

11. Example 2
Make Renting Right

12. Public polling data

13. PRS always comes out worse

14. Over represented in Homelessness statistics
PRS accounts for just 14% of households in Scotland (at time of campaign) yet accounts for 18% of all homelessness applications
Changing demographics
PRS sector has tripled in size since 1999, doubled in the last ten years, and is now home to 91,000 families with children – it is no longer just students and transient workers.

15. Homelessness: Far From Fixed
Example 3
Homelessness: Far From Fixed

16. National data analysis

17. Insight from our services

18. Public polling data
YouGov polled 1,020 adults in Scotland across tenure type between 18th – 23rd August 2016:
75% of people in Scotland think that homelessness is still a problem today
54% say that the Scottish Government could do more to tackle homelessness
27% of year olds disagree with the statement that homelessness can happen to anyone.

19. Listen to people with lived experience

20. One last thing...

21. Correlation is not causation

22. Thank you
Please support Shelter Scotland by signing up to our Homelessness campaign at: