SCOTLAND is to become the first nation in the UK to pass legislation limiting the amount of time anyone facing homelessness has to spend in unsuitable “temporary” accommodation.

A seven-day limit currently covers families with children and pregnant women, but the Scottish Government has now pledged to protect everyone at risk of homelessness. It is expected that the rule will be made law by May 2021.

The news has been welcomed by the homeless charity Crisis, which has been campaigning for an end to housing people in “dehumanising” accommodation.

Research published by the charity last year showed that people’s mental health and job prospects were damaged if they were forced to spend long periods of time in unsuitable “temporary” accommodation. As a result, the experience entrenched their homelessness.

Crisis chief executive John Sparkes said the move to extend the limit showed that Scotland had become a world leader in tackling homelessness.

“We strongly welcome the announcement that the Scottish Government will change the law so that people will no longer have to live in the most unsuitable forms of temporary accommodation for longer than seven days,” he said.

“This marks a major achievement for our Life in Limbo campaign, a three-year project which has sought to put an end to lengthy and dehumanising stays in unsupported hostels, hotels and B&Bs. “This decision is a recognition of the resolve of our clients to shine a light on the inhumane conditions they were experiencing and the determination to ensure no one else was subjected to these prolonged stays. Making sure that everyone has a home where they can begin to rebuild their lives benefits all of us.

“Once again Scotland has shown it is a world leader in tackling homelessness and this commitment is a major step forward towards it being the first nation in Great Britain to end homelessness for good.”

The announcement was made by Housing Minister Kevin Stewart, who said that while temporary accommodation could be an “important emergency safety net”, it was essential that the time spent there should be as short as possible.

“We know that people living in these unsuitable environments can, for too long, often lack cooking or washing facilities and some have reported that they cannot have visits from family or friends,” he said. “These experiences have a detrimental effect on people’s physical and mental wellbeing, preventing them from rebuilding their lives.

“While temporary accommodation can offer an important emergency safety net for anyone who finds themselves homeless, such as those fleeing domestic violence, it should be a purely temporary measure.

He added: “In Scotland we are already world-leading in tackling homelessness, and now this new legislation, which is a UK first, will make sure that the time anyone spends in unsuitable temporary accommodation is as short as possible before moving to a more appropriate, permanent home.”

He said the Scottish Government was investing £32.5 million to support local authorities to prioritise settled accommodation for all.

The regulations will be introduced in this parliamentary year with local authorities needing to make the relevant changes to ensure compliance by May 2021.