Watch the speech here .
Emma Roddick MSP has today highlighted the barriers those who are experiencing homelessness currently face in Scotland. The SNP MSP voiced concerns over social isolation and access to health and social care for those experiencing homelessness.
Speaking in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday, Roddick described homelessness as a ‘trauma’ and, when speaking about her own experience of being homeless, said:
“I was too sad to cry. The weight of feeling I was a burden, that I’d lost so much, and that I was, essentially, too unwell to ever get myself out of that situation, was literally weighing me down to the ground.”
“There’s no question that homelessness is a trauma. From the experience itself, including the constant worry and feeling that the ground beneath you could fall away any second, to the way that you are treated, even by those who are there to help, it is not something you ever get over.”
The comments were made during a debate on the joint Scottish Government and COSLA Prevention of Homelessness Duties proposals currently out for consultation.
Emma Roddick MSP 