The Scottish Parliament election is less than one month away.

Social justice and tackling poverty in the next parliament is one of the top issues in the campaign.

We asked three third-sector organisations what they think the next Scottish Government can do to tackle poverty in Scotland.

Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland.

For Scotland to become a more equal and socially just society where all who live here have the opportunity to thrive, we must ensure that everyone has access to a safe, secure affordable home.

But decades of underinvestment in social housing combined with high costs and increasing demand for homes means there is a housing crisis in Scotland which risks creating a devastating generational gulf between the housing haves and have nots.

The facts about our housing crisis speak for themselves. Right now in Scotland, over 150,000 households are on councils' waiting lists for a home and 35,764 people made a homeless application last year. Tragically, tomorrow morning almost 5000 children in Scotland will wake up without somewhere to call home - 13% more than at the same time last year.

The shortage of affordable and socially rented homes, combined with rocketing house price rises means the number of households in Scotland's private rented sector has doubled in the last ten years and now includes around 85,000 families with children.

It is in this context that Shelter Scotland has launched our Manifesto for Homes 2016, to urge all politicians and all parties to act now and put homes at the heart of the Holyrood election in May. We are asking politicians to support four key commitments:

1. Deliver a home for everyone in Scotland

2. Meet the needs of every homeless person in Scotland

3. Make private renting right

4. Put housing at the heart of social justice and tackling child poverty

To deliver a home for everyone in Scotland, we are urging all politicians to double the amount of new affordable homes currently being built to at least 12,000 each year for the next five years and commit to a new National Homelessness Strategy for Scotland.

A good home is central to our wellbeing both as individuals and collectively as a nation. We urge all politicians in Scotland to recognise this and support the commitments in our Manifesto for Homes in the run up to May's election.

John Dickie, director Child Action Group in Scotland.

Rising child poverty - a projected 50% increase by 2020 - is one of the biggest problems confronting the next Scottish Parliament, albeit a problem largely driven by UK tax and benefit policies.

The scale of the problem and the damage it does to Scotland's children, communities and finances cannot be over estimated. Yet rising child poverty is not inevitable and strong, clear policies can make all the difference.

While many key poverty reducing powers are still held at UK level, the Scottish government will have control over hugely significant areas of policy - particularly given the devolution of aspects of tax and welfare. The new Scottish Government's first priority should therefore be a strong, public commitment to ending child poverty, expressed through the introduction of a Child Poverty Act for Scotland.

The new administration must also boost family incomes through new social security powers. Topping up child benefit by just £5 a week could reduce child poverty by 14%, improving the prospects of thousands of children.

The government should also remove the financial barriers that prevent children from achieving their goals. The cost of school books, transport, uniform and lunches create a 'learning levy' which excludes children. Investing in school clothing grants and free school meals will therefore be essential.

Finally, it is insupportable that so many families rely on food banks. Minimising errors and delays in devolved social security, and ensuring families can access the Scottish Welfare Fund and benefits advice, would reduce income crisis and protect families from food poverty.

Jim McCormick, associate director for Scotland at the independent Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

We know a great deal about the causes of poverty and how to fight it: there is no excuse for fatalism or inaction.

The challenge now is to all parties to set out their plans that will drive down levels of poverty and make sustained progress. The choices made by the next Scottish government can help to put Scotland on a long-term pathway to lower poverty levels. JRF's manifesto briefing affirms the need for an all-age plan to boost incomes and cut the cost of essentials, but also to improve the education, housing and work prospects of low-income families.

Our proposals start with childhood. Over the next decade, we estimate an extra £500 million will need to be invested in childcare to maximise its anti-poverty potential. The priorities are to improve quality, extend support throughout the year and control costs to ensure childcare is more affordable. Costs should be removed for low-income families and capped at no more than 10 per cent of net incomes for the majority.

For work to offer a surer route out of poverty, further expansion of the living wage is needed. But by itself, that would not be enough. Progressing into better jobs should be the central purpose of a new Advancement Service, targeting those stuck in low-paid work or with the fewest skills. City Deal programmes in Scottish cities can use procurement to ensure better employment opportunities for people and places facing poverty.

Poverty is also about the cost of living. The next government should focus just as much on driving down the costs faced by low-income households as well as their incomes. Alongside building more affordable homes, an alternative property tax to replace the Council, a rolling loan schemes for private landlords would drive up safety and energy efficiency and help bring down energy bill for tenants.