Housing

Speakers and participants in this online roundtable discussion highlighted key issues regarding access to housing due to Brexit. EU nationals now face the same ‘hostile environment’ as non-EU migrants, with exhaustive procedures to live and work in the UK. When landlords and employers are required to take nine steps to check someone’s status online, it is likely to lead to a preference for applicants with a British passport or physical residence permit. Participants felt there was not enough information and guidance about the changes arising from Brexit, reinforcing that landlords and employers do not have enough knowledge of the new rules, which can lead to discrimination.

More broadly, people subjected to immigration controls have always been excluded from housing and homelessness provision, but prior to Brexit, this did not apply to EU citizens. Therefore, the Scottish Anti-Destitution strategy is undermined by Brexit and the impact of more people included in the No Recourse for Public Funds (NRPF) category. The absolute deadlines imposed by Brexit have made prevention of destitution much more complex.

While most research participants did not feel their homes were overcrowded, nearly a third of ethnic minority participants felt their homes were sometimes too damp or too cold, and the same proportion found that housing related issues had resulted in a household member suffering a health problem. The figure for Scottish/British participants was 18% and 8%, respectively. Many also highlighted a lack of affordable housing in Aberdeen City.

Aberdeenshire Council faced significant logistical challenges in organising suitable housing for the Syrian New Scots community. When families began to arrive in 2015, they were initially given private accommodation rented by the council for a two year period, in a Private Sector Leasing (PSL) scheme. The expectation was that they would transition into more typical Private Residential Tenancies (PRTs) afterwards. This scheme worked well until 2019, when issues began to arise, including the changing needs of tenants (mobility, children, etc), and landlords wishing to sell or move back into their properties. Some landlords also wanted to end their legal agreement with Aberdeenshire Council, in order to charge higher rent.

A temporary Housing Officer was appointed in 2019, to provide dedicated support to New Scots clients, and the post was made permanent in 2021. They have supported clients with housing and homelessness applications, communication with landlords, organising repairs, and other matters. They have also identified issues around overcrowding, affordability (even for those working), damp conditions, domestic abuse, and neighbours’ anti-social behaviour. Meanwhile, the housing market had shifted since 2015, with fewer available properties, higher rental costs, and significant impacts on families with three or more children due to the Benefit Cap. Broadly speaking, they found that the needs of New Scots were similar to those of social housing clients, requiring ongoing support. Anecdotal evidence also showed that the only New Scots tenants who could afford to move into employment were those in two-bed private housing, due to Local Housing Allowance rates.

During 2020, Covid-19 led to many PSL tenancies being extended for a year, but transitions into PRTs resumed in 2021. However, one year post-transition, only 10% of New Scots tenants remained in their original private sector home, and most landlords have expressed plans to sell their properties when their PSL agreement ends. Therefore, the housing strategy for future groups of New Scots will focus on social housing rather than private rented accommodation, to minimise disruption, allow for better support, and ensure more secure tenancies.

For a more in-depth summary of this research, including sample sizes and other details, please see How Fair Is North East Scotland 2018, available on grec.co.uk/research.

Minority Ethnic Housing Project (MEHP), 2016: Annual Report
SSAMIS 2017: Migrant Housing in Aberdeen & Aberdeenshire [10]

Until 2017, when funding ceased, the MEHP provided advice and support to ethnic minorities facing homelessness and other housing issues. Similar issues were identified in the SSAMIS research, and in both cases, problems often compounded each other. Key issues included:

• Issues with benefits – late payments, shrinking payments, sanctions, loss of Jobseeker’s Allowance for EU nationals with a permanent Right to Reside, bedroom tax, etc.
• Other money/debt problems – rent arrears, employability, fuel costs, etc.
• Immigration issues – No Recourse to Public Funds, loss of Right to Reside, complex/confusing paperwork and other requirements (often needing IT skills/access to complete).
• Poor housing – overcrowding, unaffordable rent, insecure tenancy, health/safety concerns, etc.
• Irresponsible landlords – ignoring tenants’ rights, threatening eviction, refusing to make repairs.
• Being ‘stuck’ in overpriced, poor quality accommodation provided by employers.
• Language barriers, lack of knowledge about rights/entitlements/where to get help, limited ESOL provision in rural areas, limited informal support networks, etc.
• Domestic abuse, eviction, homelessness, long waiting lists for social housing.