WHEN I was asked what song reminds me of home, the answer was clear – Raintown by Deacon Blue. I listened to it endlessly at university and it reminds me of my first home away from home. Plus, it does rain a fair bit in Edinburgh.
I tell you this
because Shelter is launching its new campaign, Hometime Scotland. We're asking people to tell us what song reminds them of home and why. It can be their family home, first home, or their home now.
Music is emotive. It's a great way to get people to think about how important it is to have a safe and secure home.
But why do we want people to tell us? Well, legislation already exists that by 2012 every unintentionally homeless person in Scotland will have the right to a permanent home. Hometime Scotland is about making sure that target is achieved.
It is a groundbreaking law that puts Scotland ahead of the rest of the world in tackling the challenge of homelessness and we need to make sure Scottish politicians honour and fund it.
Among those who have signed up to support us are Indie pop sensation The Wombats and DJ Calvin Harris. The song that reminded him of home was Too Young to Die by Jamiroquai – he remembers crouching in front of his mum's tape player in Dumfries to listen to it.
For many in the Lothians, being without a home continues to be a problem. In Edinburgh there were 595 households in temporary accommodation in March 2007: a rise from 470 the previous year.
Young people often struggle to find decent affordable homes. That's why we're keen for them to sign up to support the campaign. A recent survey by NCH Scotland and Young Scot showed that young people think tackling homelessness is the second most important priority for the Scottish Parliament.
So while we can't stop the rain in our town, we can make sure we make the target to give everyone a home by 2012 a top political priority, not just for our sake, but for the sake of our young people's future.
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James Jopling is head of campaigns at Shelter ScotlandThe full article contains 383 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
