CIH Scotland director reacts to passing of the Housing (Scotland) Bill

Callum Chomczuk, national director of CIH Scotland, has responded to the passing of the Housing (Scotland) Bill by the Scottish Parliament.

He said: “We welcome the passing of the Housing (Scotland) Bill. The introduction of a duty for social landlords to develop a domestic abuse policy is a significant step towards addressing domestic abuse, the main cause of homelessness for women; while the amendment to the Scottish Social Housing Charter (SSHC) to ensure support is provided by social landlords for victims of domestic abuse will help realise this.

"Our research has shown that the presence of a domestic abuse policy alone does not necessarily lead to better outcomes. Social landlords need the right policies and a focus on improving housing outcomes. The combination of a mandatory domestic abuse policy and requirements under the Scottish Social Housing Charter will help victims make the choices that suit them, whether that is to stay in their existing home or to move to somewhere they feel safer.

"The Scottish government’s commitment to embedding homelessness prevention across the public sector has the potential to change our approach to homelessness. But it will take time to realise meaningful culture change, and resources are required to ensure that interventions are effective.

"In the meantime, the Scottish government must continue to invest in Rapid Rehousing Transition Plans, which are already laying the groundwork for prevention. Ultimately, investing in prevention will lead to better outcomes for individuals and longer-term savings for a range of government services.

"There is significant work to do in ensuring that the new rent control measures passed are workable. We think that there needs to be a new focus on improving standards in the private rented sector (PRS) by supporting professional development for landlords, supporting tenants to uphold their rights and resourcing more proactive enforcement from local authorities. This is why we’re working with partners to develop the scope for what we believe should inform a future Scottish government PRS strategy.

"We look forward to working with the Scottish government to ensure that the Act is implemented effectively and contributes towards a better functioning housing system across all tenures.”

Callum Chomczuk CIHM
National director at CIH Scotland