Private Rented Sector Resilience Group minutes: 24 March 2021

Attendees and apologies

• Nina Ballantyne, Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) -Chair
• Aoife Deery, Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS)
• Debbie King, Shelter Scotland
• Alice Tooms – Moore, Shelter Scotland
• Ross Anderson, guest from ALACHO
• Laura Caven, COSLA
• Tony Cain, ALACHO
• Katrina Reid, Public Health Scotland (PHS)
• Yvonne Gavan, SG
• Mandy Callaghan, SG
• Denise Buchanan, SG

Apologies

• Chris McKee
• Mandy Brown
• Pauline Torley
• Emma Anderson
• Duncan Thomson

Items and actions

 

Welcome and note of previous meeting.

The group was content with the note of the previous meeting.

Actions from previous meeting

• SG to share the Tenant Hardship Loan Fund letter with the group. Comments welcome.
• TOR is complete. SG to confirm when it will be uploaded to website.
• PARS – SG thanked the group for comments on reviewing PARs and will discuss with the group at a future meeting.
• SG to check what information on consequentials can be made public and respond to the group.
• Glasgow to provide statistics on deregistered landlords, - carry over to a future meeting.
• Shelter Statistician met with SG homelessness team.
• DHP Action plan to be carried forward to a later meeting.
• SG to check with HPC re monitoring Section 11 notices.
• HPRG will consider feedback on the recent report. Shelter noted some concerns on the reduction of homelessness rights. Shelter is keen to be involved in the post Covid exit strategy.

Action – Keep as an agenda point for discussion.

• Housing to 2040 – on agenda.
• COSLA feedback on communicating changes on the Coronavirus Act extension will be held over to a future meeting

Action log

Noted that the action log has been paused, actions will be recorded in the note of the meeting.

Update on PRS Toolkit

PRS Toolkit – The group noted that it is important to include the ban on enforcing evictions and what this means for tenants, and takes account of changes when areas move to level 2.

Action SG to feedback to team working on the toolkit.

HPRG report – COSLA/ALACHO to discuss in LA resilience group and feedback to PRS group

To be carried over to a future meeting

Ministerial update

Housing to 2040 was discussed at the recent meeting Ministerial meeting. The Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning expressed his thanks to the resilience groups for their work so far and is keen for the work and engagement to continue post-election.

Housing to 2040 and priority actions as part of recovery work

CAS welcomed Housing to 2040, particularly work on RPZs, and short term lets. They are keen to be involved in discussing a shared definition of affordability.

Shelter Scotland welcomed the right to adequate housing, plans to make PARs permanent and plans for a common housing standard, but noted that this could be more complex in the PRS.

Action ALACHO to feedback at a future meeting.

Action SG to arrange for a member of the Housing to 2040 team to attend a future meeting (after the election) to discuss what Housing to 2040 means for the PRS.

Action Group members to consider what priorities and timings they would like to see for the next meeting.

 Feedback from CAS on stakeholder comments on inclusive recovery recommendations from other sectors and next steps. 

CAS thanked the group for feedback on the draft paper. The next version is due shortly.  The paper will look at how many people are affected and what support might be needed, also unsustainable tenancies and any measures to support people in this situation.  Budget and costs will be for the incoming SG administration to consider.

 AOB

Action COSLA will share notes of the Local Authority Resilience Group meeting and the response to the HPRG report .

Noted that a report on Housing to 2040 will go to COSLA leaders at the end of April.

Action CAS offered to host the next meeting on 19 April at 2pm.

Action Any agenda items for the next meeting to CAS