In October 2021, the Scottish Government established a Working Group to help produce a new standards framework for temporary accommodation in Scotland. The group has developed a draft framework and are now consulting wider stakeholders.
SOME BACKGROUND
Ensuring standards in temporary accommodation are consistent and of a good quality has been a priority for many stakeholders, due to the variance in standards across different types and in different areas. In 2018, the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group recommended a new framework to underpin temporary accommodation, taken forward as an action in the joint Scottish Government and COSLA Ending Homelessness Together Action Plan in 2018, updated in 2020.
In August 2019, Scottish Government held a consultation on improving temporary accommodation standards, which proposed changes to three main areas:
1. The Unsuitable Accommodation Order;
2. Advisory standards for temporary accommodation; and
3. The development of a temporary accommodation standards framework.
Progess against each area includes (1) the Unsuitable Accommodation Order was extended to all homeless households from May 2020 and (2) new advisory standards for temporary accommodation were created and published in November 2019 in the interim Homelessness Code of Guidance.
THE CONSULTATION
Between October 2021 and May 2022, the Working Group has developed a draft set of standards, the third and final area of the original consultation. The draft standards span considerations for local authorities and partners in relation to:
- Physical Standards
- Location Standards
- Service Standards
- Management Standards
In advance of the draft temporary accommodation standards being agreed later this year, the Working Group are seeking stakeholder input on the content of the standards. The group invites you to review the temporary accommodation standards and provide comments to ensure that the quality of temporary accommodation is of good standard and meets the needs of the whole household.
TO RESPOND
View the draft Temporary Accommodation Standards Framework here.
Responses by email to the Scottish Government’s Homelessness Team on Homelessness_External_Mail@gov.scot
Please respond no later than 17 June 2022.