Firstly, let me start off my first column of 2018 by wishing you all a Happy New Year.
Sadly, for many, it may not be as prosperous as they would wish for.
Figures from a recent survey by Street Soccer Scotland shows over 40% of people believe if they lost their job, they’d struggle to pay their rent or mortgage within just two months.
The results also highlighted that a quarter of Scots said they know someone who has already experienced homelessness.
If further proof is needed of how bad this crisis is getting, Shelter Scotland claims every 19 minutes a household in Scotland becomes homeless.
I have seen first-hand the devastating effect losing your home can have on people and their mental well-being.
The strain is enormous when your life is turned upside down, thankfully there are people out there willing to help.
I recently shadowed staff from Shelter Scotland, witnessing how they assist people who, for whatever reason, find themselves without a roof over their head or a place to call home.
The work Shelter Scotland and other organisations do in getting people back on their feet is fantastic. They are there every step of the way, offering support to people who contact them at their lowest ebb to get back on their feet.
One of the main issues we need to address if we are to combat this terrible problem is the stigma attached to homelessness. Once we achieve that, people will be less embarrassed to seek help.
Early intervention is the key. If people can identify they may be in danger of losing their home, the quicker local councils and charities like Shelter Scotland can begin offering help.
Whilst there is a need to address the housing shortage it should not be at the expense of destroying treasured and historic beauty spots.
I will be leading a member’s debate on this issue at Holyrood in early March. I am against the potential loss of the woodland around Calderbank and Carnbroe to developers.
The local campaign group Save Woodhall and Faskine (SWAF) will be coming through to the Scottish Parliament to listen to MSPs from all parties debate the potential destruction of their local beauty spot.
Please attend or tune in if you can. We are trying to save this woodland for future generations to enjoy. Once the greenbelt is gone, it is gone forever.
Finally, if you are into sport or just looking to get out and about, Lanarkshire will again host some elite sporting action.
The inaugural European Championships will be jointly-hosted in Glasgow and Berlin, with two of the events taking place at Strathclyde Park. This will be the biggest local sporting event since the Glasgow Commonwealth Games back in 2014.
Over 700 athletes will compete in the rowing and triathlon championships over six days in August. I’m sure, like four years ago for the Commonwealth Games, the local community will turn out in their numbers to support the elite athletes taking to the water this summer as they did back in 2014.