Reacting to the passing of the Housing (Scotland) Bill by the Scottish Parliament this evening, CAS housing spokesperson Aoife Deery said:

“Through the introduction of a framework for rent controls as well as much-needed improvements to the private rented sector and homelessness prevention, the Housing Bill marks a significant step forward in tackling the affordability challenges many people across Scotland face.

“Evidence from across the Citizens Advice network in Scotland clearly shows that more and more people are faced with housing issues. We gave out housing advice more than 62,000 times last year, an increase of 7% on the previous year. We are also seeing more people struggling with paying their rent: the average rent debt that private renters come to the CAB network with is now £4,279, 14% higher than last year. This has a devastating impact on peoples physical and mental health.

“Now the Housing Bill has passed, implementation must be driven forward to ensure that the rent controls system is robust, easy to understand and delivers good outcomes, especially for tenants.”

ENDS