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Anyone facing homelessness will spend no longer than a week in unsuitable accommodation like bed and breakfasts under new legislation.
The seven day limit on unsuitable temporary accommodation which currently covers families with children and pregnant women will now be extended to protect everyone at risk of homelessness.
Announcing the changes, which 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.”
Research published by Crisis last year gathered experiences of 74 people across Edinburgh, East Lothian, Glasgow, Midlothian, Aberdeenshire and Highland who have faced months in unsuitable temporary accommodation such as B&Bs.
It showed that these experiences damage people’s mental health and job prospects, entrenching their homelessness.
Jon Sparkes, Chief Executive of homeless charity Crisis, said: “We strongly welcome the announcement that the Scottish Government will change the law so that people will no longer have to live in the most unsuitable forms of temporary accommodation for longer than seven days.
“This marks a major achievement for our Life in Limbo campaign, a three year project which has sought to put an end to lengthy and dehumanising stays in unsupported hostels, hotels and B&Bs.
“This decision is a recognition of the resolve of our clients to shine a light on the inhumane conditions they were experiencing and the determination to ensure no one else was subjected to these prolonged stays.
“Making sure that everyone has a home where they can begin to rebuild their lives benefits all of us. Once again Scotland has shown it is a world leader in tackling homelessness and this commitment is a major step forward towards it being the first nation in Great Britain to end homelessness for good.”
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Acclaimed charity Social Bite is calling on all teachers, youth leaders, parents and guardians to enable the nation’s under 18s to take action and join their movement to end homelessness.
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An additional £9 million of funding will be provided to local authorities to prevent homelessness and help people into more permanent accommodation. The investment will increase the local authority funding being provided for Rapid Rehousing from £15 million to £24 million over three years.
This will help transform services so people facing homelessness can either immediately, or as quickly as possible, be placed into permanent, stable accommodation with the support they need.
The money is part of the Scottish Government’s £50 million Ending Homelessness Together fund.
Announcing the funding following a visit to an Aberdeenshire shared accommodation service, Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Temporary accommodation provides an important safety net in a crisis, but we know it is not the solution.
“The evidence shows what most people need is a settled place to stay where they can rebuild their lives. Where additional support is required, it will be most effective when people are living in a stable home, in mainstream housing.
“This additional funding will help reduce time spent in temporary accommodation and get people experiencing homelessness into appropriate and sustainable housing as quickly as possible.”
Chair of Aberdeenshire Council’s Communities Committee, Cllr Anne Stirling said: “We are pleased to see some additional funding coming forward to help us tackle homelessness.
“We are committed to ensuring the right mix of housing options across Aberdeenshire and to reducing poverty and inequality across our communities. Our shared accommodation model helps us to ensure there are temporary affordable housing options for those who need it most.”
COSLA Vice President Graham Houston said: “Tackling Homelessness is a key issue for Councils across Scotland.
“We welcome the extra resource to help local authorities begin to move towards Rapid Rehousing. We will continue to work in partnership with Scottish Government to ensure Councils have the resources needed.”
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A new partnership to unlock access to the private rented sector for homeless people across the city has been launched with national homelessness charity, Crisis.
Help to Rent Edinburgh will provide a range of services for tenants who the Council have assessed as homeless to widen their rental options beyond social housing, which often has long waiting lists. This will allow people to move on from temporary accommodation more quickly.
Support will include advice in navigating properties available for rent and entitlement to local housing allowance. The service will also provide help with budgeting, leases, inventories, arranging viewings and finding flatmates where necessary.
The scheme will also include a deposit guarantee provision for landlords so that people who would struggle to pay this expense up front are not excluded from renting. Similar to a cash deposit, this gives landlords peace of mind by providing protection against any damage or arrears and is guaranteed to be paid by the scheme if problems arise.
Councillor Kate Campbell, Housing and Economy Convener, said: “Because of the pressures on social housing in Edinburgh homeless households are having to spend too long in temporary accommodation while waiting for a permanent home. We have to help people find ways out of homelessness that don’t just rely on social housing and that has to include the private sector.
“Crisis have a wealth of experience in housing and homelessness, so it’s good to have them working in partnership with us to deliver what will be a transformative project. This is about the public and third sectors working with private sector landlords who understand that they can play an important role helping us to tackle homelessness.
“And it will also make it easier for many households and families at risk of, or experiencing homelessness, to find a permanent, settled home. If you are a landlord in Edinburgh I would encourage you to find out more about Help to Rent as, if you do, you will absolutely play a part in improving people’s lives in our city.”
Grant Campbell, Skylight Director for Crisis in Edinburgh, said: “We are delighted to be working with the Council to provide this much-needed service.
“So many people across the city are currently struggling to leave homelessness behind, in part because the costs of renting can make finding a stable home hugely challenging. Landlords who agree to let their properties to homeless individuals, couples or families are playing their part in supporting people into settled housing and allowing them to move on with their lives more quickly.
“I would encourage any landlord with a property to think about joining Help to Rent, not only will it genuinely help more people out of homelessness but you will also get the security of a named contact for the duration of the tenancy and support in finding new tenants making the process easier for you to manage.”
Crisis is employing two new staff members to manage the scheme and prospective tenants will come through the Council’s Housing services. The initial aim is to secure 40 tenancies within the first year of the three-year contract.
The time people facing homelessness spend in unsuitable temporary housing including B&Bs could be limited, following a consultation launched yesterday.
A seven-day restriction in unsuitable temporary accommodation for everyone experiencing homelessness, as currently exists for families with children and pregnant women, is being proposed.
The Scottish Government also wants improvements made to the consistency of temporary accommodation quality across the country.
While most temporary accommodation is generally good, with the majority of homeless households found accommodation in the social rented sector, there are no set standards which cover the range of temporary accommodation available.
The consultation will also consider what legally enforceable standards could look like, developed in partnership with the sector and people with lived experience. These changes would mean that people living in temporary accommodation will experience a higher and more consistent level of accommodation and support while a permanent solution to their housing need is found.
Speaking at the Housing First Scotland annual conference in Edinburgh, Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said: “Temporary accommodation can offer an important emergency safety net for anyone who finds themselves homeless with nowhere else to go, such as those fleeing domestic violence. But it should be just that – temporary.
“We want to make sure that the time anyone spends in temporary accommodation is as short as possible before moving to a more appropriate, settled home.
“It is also essential that temporary accommodation is of good quality so those who experience homelessness have the best possible chance to find their feet again.
“Making settled housing a priority is a key action in our plans to end homelessness, backed by £50 million of investment. We recognise the importance of a settled home for supporting people to live their life with good health, wellbeing and a sense of community and belonging.”
