Coronavirus emergency legislation briefing

The Coronavirus (Scotland) Bill published (31st March 2020) sets out how the government will seek to achieve this and prevent evictions in the social and rented sector. While the measures in the Bill are welcome, the Bill, as it stands, does not prevent all evictions from happening. Shelter Scotland believes that the Bill could and should be strengthened to achieve that end, as no-one should be without a home at this time.

Changes we are seeking to protect everyone during this pandemic:

• extend protection from eviction to people whose case is currently in the court system or has already been heard by court, so no one ends up on the streets between now and September

• ban on future evictions for coronavirus debts where tenants are continuing to try and pay their rent either through LHA, furloughed wages or employment once restrictions lifted

• calling for amendment to unsuitable temporary accommodation legislation to ensure no-one stays in unsuitable/unsafe temporary accommodation, with shared bathrooms or kitchens, for more than one night

• powers for local authorities to sequester holiday homes, if councils are unable to reach agreement locally, for their use as temporary accommodation during this pandemic emergency