Preventing Homelessness & Strengthening Tenants’ Rights
New legislation which aims to keep people in their homes and help prevent homelessness has been published.
The Housing (Scotland) Bill will introduce an ‘ask and act’ duty on social landlords and bodies, such as health boards and the police, to ask about a person’s housing situation and act to avoid them becoming homeless wherever possible.
It also reforms provision for people threatened with homelessness up to six months ahead, and includes provisions for tenants experiencing domestic abuse.
The Bill will outline proposals for a New Deal for Tenants – a key part of the Bute House Agreement between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party.
Proposals include long term rent controls for private tenancies, new rights to keep pets and decorate rented homes, and stronger protection against eviction.
Housing Minister Paul McLennan and Tenants’ Rights Minister Patrick Harvie will lead the Bill’s passage through Parliament.
Background
The Housing (Scotland) Bill was informed by three public consultations and will now by scrutinised by the Scottish Parliament.
I’m Graeme’s Parliamentary Assistant based at Holyrood, but I support his constituency work as well. Having been Caseworker to an Aberdeenshire MP some years prior, joining Graeme's team in 2019 was a return to this line of work from a role in fundraising.