The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 placed a statutory requirement on local authorities to prepare strategies for preventing and alleviating homelessness. The first round of Homelessness Strategies was produced in 2003. Most covered a three year period and have since been refreshed and updated. Local authorities are no longer required to submit discrete homelessness strategies to Ministers covering their activity to prevent homelessness; although they may choose to do so as a matter of local policy. Rather, the Local Housing Strategy will in future be the main strategic document incorporating housing, homelessness and support issues. Developing a single strategy framework assists in rationalising the reporting requirements of local government, however the statutory duty on local authorities under the 2001 Housing (Scotland) Act to address these areas remains. In many respects the duty to prevent homelessness as 2012 approaches has become more important than ever.