Temporary Accommodation standards: campaign briefing

Shelter Scotland is asking the Scottish Government to:

1. Officially endorse and support non-statutory guidance on standards in temporary accommodation (TA)

This would build on guidance Shelter Scotland and the Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland produced in 20102 which addresses physical standards but also good practice in terms of location, service and the management of TA. Standards would apply to every household in TA.
We recommend that the Scottish Government convene a working group to revise/streamline this guidance before publishing and formally linking it to the Code of Guidance.

2. Introduce a legislative amendment to the existing Homeless Persons (Unsuitable Accommodation) (Scotland) Order 2004 to add clause(s) relating specifically to physical standards for families with children or pregnant women in temporary accommodation.

This would seek to replicate the right to repair that Scottish secure tenants (SST) and those in the private rented sector (PRS) have, but limited to families with children and pregnant women in TA rather than more generally.