Scottish housing bill under attack

A disability and housing charity has called for the
“discriminatory” Housing (Scotland) Bill to be scrapped, arguing
that it does not help disabled people.

Ownership Option’s call to communities minister Malcolm Chisholm
follows a critical report by the Scottish parliament’s communities
committee on the bill, which was due to be debated this week.

The committee said the bill would fail to give disabled people in
Scotland the same rights as those in the rest of the UK on adapting
private rented property, and called for it to be amended.

Director Richard Hamer said: “It’s time disabled people in Scotland
had the same right to live in decent housing as those in the rest
of the UK. The minister must dump the bill and support new
proposals that really make a difference.”

• The committee’s report is available from www.scottish.parliament.uk