A Scottish Statutory Instrument (SSI) will be laid in Parliament on 13 January that will further extend the temporary exceptions in response to the coronavirus pandemic from 31 January 2021 until 30 June 2021.
This new legislation means that until 30 June 2021 a placement will not be considered as unsuitable if:
- A person in the household has symptoms of coronavirus and the household requires to isolate; or
- The accommodation is required to provide temporary accommodation to ensure that a distance of 2 metres can be maintained between a member of the household and a person who is not a member of the household in order to prevent the spread of coronavirus; or
- The local authority is unable to place the household in suitable accommodation as a result of the impacts of coronavirus on temporary accommodation supply in the area, provided that where a household includes a child or a pregnant woman the household is not placed in unsuitable accommodation for more than 7 days.
Guidance to support the Unsuitable Accommodation Order has been developed by a local authority working group in liaison with other homelessness parnters and this is due to be published in January.