Description
For young people facing or at risk of homelessness in Scotland, on top of the socio-economic difficulties they face day to day, maintaining a healthy diet can be a challenge. This article draws connections between homelessness, young people, the ever changing Scottish policy environment and food poverty. It shows that current social policies in Scotland do not necessarily facilitate progress to independent living for young people; but worse, may be actively contributing to the homeless situation and hence food poverty of this group. Two concerns arise: firstly, the implications of malnutrition in young people, and secondly, a concern for social justice. This article sets the contextual background to the Foodways and Futures project (2013 – 2016), an action research project including young formerly homeless people in the Northeast of Scotland, aged 16 to 25.
