Unsuitable temporary accommodation legislation to cover people facing homelessness

Unsuitable temporary accommodation legislation to cover people facing homelessness

Kevin Stewart

The Scottish government is to extend a seven-day limit on unsuitable temporary accommodation to protect people at risk of homelessness.

Under new legislation, anyone facing homelessness will spend no longer than a week in accommodation like bed and breakfasts.

The limit on unsuitable temporary accommodation currently covers families with children and pregnant women.

The changes will come into effect by May 2021.

Housing minister Kevin Stewart said: “We know that people living in these unsuitable environments can for too long often lack cooking or washing facilities, and some have reported that they cannot have visits from family or friends. These experiences have a detrimental effect on people’s physical and mental wellbeing, preventing them from rebuilding their lives.

“While temporary accommodation can offer an important emergency safety net for anyone who finds themselves homeless, such as those fleeing domestic violence, it should be a purely temporary measure.

“In Scotland we are already world-leading in tackling homelessness, and now this new legislation, which is a UK first, will make sure that the time anyone spends in unsuitable temporary accommodation is as short as possible before moving to a more appropriate, permanent home.

“We recognise the importance of a settled home in supporting people to live their life with good health, wellbeing and a sense of community and belonging.

“That’s why we’re investing £32.5 million, which includes more than half of our £50 million Ending Homelessness Together Fund, to support local authorities to prioritise settled accommodation for all.”

The government launched a consultation in May which included consideration of when and how the Unsuitable Accommodation Order should be extended.

Initial analysis shows there was overwhelming support for the extension of the Order, with 97 per cent of respondents agreeing that the order should be extended, including 80 per cent of organisations, including local authorities. 

Full independent analysis of the consultation responses will be published in autumn.

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