Council Supports Homeless Applicants
6th January 2011
Renfrewshire Council has adopted a new policy which should improve the rights of homeless persons and families and those facing homelessness.
In terms of a homeless applicant’s age, although statute law currently only grants (i) automatic priority need to those aged 16 or 17, and (ii) discretionary priority need (a) to those aged 18-20 who have left care or who face particular risks, and (b) to older individuals if some other factor applies, nonetheless Renfrewshire Council hasextended automatic priority need to include (iii) those aged under 36 and (iv) those aged over 50.
This is ahead of Central Government introducing an absolute ban on priority need considerations by 2012.
The current law is contained in the Part II of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, as amended, and the Homelessness etc (Scotland) Act 2003 as well as the Scottish Government's Code of Guidance on Homelessness.