Monday 23 Jun 2008 @ 16:27
Scottish Government
Scottish Government
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One year tenancy proposal
A private tenancy for a minimum of one year is proposed in a consultation launched today on new approaches to housing homeless people.
Local authorities will be given more flexibility to use the private rented sector to ease waiting times experienced by thousands of homeless families.
Communities Minister Stewart Maxwell said the change to legislation would present pragmatic housing solutions in areas such as rural Scotland with little social housing.
At a Shelter housing conference in Glasgow, Mr Maxwell described homelessness as 'a scar on Scottish society' and said that some local authorities are straining to provide homeless people with social lets.
The proposed changes come with tight conditions attached focusing on security of tenure, affordability and meeting the support needs of the homeless applicants.
Mr Maxwell said:
"Homelessness is a scar on Scottish society and at odds with our ambition to build a modern, successful economy.
"Anyone who is unintentionally homeless needs a settled home, which can be a base for themselves and their family
"This Government's commitment to the homelessness 2012 target is resolute, as are our ambitions for housing more generally.
"We recognise the need to boost housing supply. We are supporting a new generation of council house building, backed by £25 million, and have proposed a goal to build 35,000 houses a year by the middle of the next decade.
"We have already taken positive strides to transform the private rented sector - Landlord Registration; the new Repairing Standard and the new National Landlord Accreditation Scheme are helping to drive up standards in the physical condition and management of privately rented property."
"It is vital that the Scottish Government, local authorities, housing associations and the private sector play their part in bringing us closer to the 2012 target."
John Blackwood, Director of Scottish Association of Landlords, said,
"We welcome the opportunity to discuss and debate how the private rented sector can play a greater role in meeting housing need. The sector already provides much needed housing and, in particular, there are some good examples of projects where councils and landlords are working together successfully to provide rented housing for people in need.
"Through schemes like Landlord Accreditation Scotland, which we are working in partnership with the Government to deliver, we can ensure that standards in the sector continue to increase and that the sector is seen as a good housing option for many tenants."
The consultation focuses around changing secondary legislation to allow local authorities to discharge their duty to homeless households by ensuring provision of a short assured tenancy.
This is subject to certain conditions to support sustainability of the tenancy:
* The tenancy should be for a minimum of one year
* That the solution must be affordable for the household
* That support is in place if required
* That the applicant has received advice on their options and has given their written consent to proceed in this way
Related Information
Local authorities will be given more flexibility to use the private rented sector to ease waiting times experienced by thousands of homeless families.
Communities Minister Stewart Maxwell said the change to legislation would present pragmatic housing solutions in areas such as rural Scotland with little social housing.
At a Shelter housing conference in Glasgow, Mr Maxwell described homelessness as 'a scar on Scottish society' and said that some local authorities are straining to provide homeless people with social lets.
The proposed changes come with tight conditions attached focusing on security of tenure, affordability and meeting the support needs of the homeless applicants.
Mr Maxwell said:
"Homelessness is a scar on Scottish society and at odds with our ambition to build a modern, successful economy.
"Anyone who is unintentionally homeless needs a settled home, which can be a base for themselves and their family
"This Government's commitment to the homelessness 2012 target is resolute, as are our ambitions for housing more generally.
"We recognise the need to boost housing supply. We are supporting a new generation of council house building, backed by £25 million, and have proposed a goal to build 35,000 houses a year by the middle of the next decade.
"We have already taken positive strides to transform the private rented sector - Landlord Registration; the new Repairing Standard and the new National Landlord Accreditation Scheme are helping to drive up standards in the physical condition and management of privately rented property."
"It is vital that the Scottish Government, local authorities, housing associations and the private sector play their part in bringing us closer to the 2012 target."
John Blackwood, Director of Scottish Association of Landlords, said,
"We welcome the opportunity to discuss and debate how the private rented sector can play a greater role in meeting housing need. The sector already provides much needed housing and, in particular, there are some good examples of projects where councils and landlords are working together successfully to provide rented housing for people in need.
"Through schemes like Landlord Accreditation Scotland, which we are working in partnership with the Government to deliver, we can ensure that standards in the sector continue to increase and that the sector is seen as a good housing option for many tenants."
The consultation focuses around changing secondary legislation to allow local authorities to discharge their duty to homeless households by ensuring provision of a short assured tenancy.
This is subject to certain conditions to support sustainability of the tenancy:
* The tenancy should be for a minimum of one year
* That the solution must be affordable for the household
* That support is in place if required
* That the applicant has received advice on their options and has given their written consent to proceed in this way
Related Information
