Evictions ban set to be extended until next year

ABAN on evictions is to be extended for another six months if the Scottish Parliament approves the plan.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said the current ban on evictions runs until September 30 and the Scottish Government wants to extend that to the end of March.

She gave the update after two Glasgow MSPs told of fears of a wave of evictions in the autumn when the ban is due to end.

Green MSP Patrick Harvie said there had been 350 applications for evictions during the Covid-19 pandemic.

He said: “It is clear that every forecast shows that the pandemic will cause longterm economic damage to our most vulnerable communities. Given the timescale of eviction proceedings, those who have already lost their jobs or incomes during the pandemic could still face eviction in the middle of winter, even under the Government’s current plans.”

Sturgeon said if the Greens support the SNP plan then it would go through parliament and no-one would be evicted over the winter.

She said: “That underlines the continuing commitment of the Government to do everything that we can to protect tenants and prevent people from becoming homeless as a result of the pandemic.

“The protection against eviction that I have spoken about is in place right now and, if this Parliament agrees, it will be extended.”

She added: “We continue to work with tenant and landlord stakeholder groups to ensure that those issues are properly explored.

“Our clear intention is to ensure that nobody is evicted as a result of the crisis that we are living through.”

Labour MSP Pauline McNeill said her party supported the announcement but wanted the Government to go further to protect private sector tenants from excessive rent rises.

She said: “Having rejected the hardship fund and the fair rents bill that I proposed, how else does the First Minister intend to help renters during this unprecedented crisis?

“Although it has taken some action, the Government does not seem to have a big idea to help them to survive.”

Sturgeon said: “As we put together a programme for Government for the year ahead and look ahead to our budget process, making sure that we help people financially and in other ways with the impact of the crisis will be uppermost in our minds.”