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Scottish Charity Register No. SC043760

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Section 11

May 24 2009
Local authorities must be notified when repossession proceedings start The Scottish Government has just agreed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) that Section 11 will come into force on 1st April 2009. This means that local authorities must now be notified whenever a mortgage lender, private landlord or registered social landlord (RSL) starts legal proceeding to repossess a property. According to a poll carried out in the new year for housing charity Shelter, more that 22 per cent of respondents, around 160,000 households, admitted to struggling or failing behind with their monthly mortgage payments, with five per cent - around 37,000 - expecting to be repossessed in the next six months. The survey also shows how sub-prime borrowers are taking sometimes drastic measures to pay their mortgage, including borrowing from friends and family, using credit cards and taking out loans. It is part of the commitment that, by 2012, all unintentionally homeless people will be entitled to a permanent home. The introduction of section 11 should provide an additional tool, which, if used as a stepping stone to increasing prevention of homelessness work, will help local authorities (LAs) to reach the 2012 target. The current economic downturn has inevitably resulted in a rise in repossession and eviction rates. Yet although the idea seems simple, a prior pilot project carried out in the Greater Govan and Greater Pollok areas of Glasgow has demonstrated otherwise. There is a need for expertise at all levels, and perfect coordination between services such as law centres, social work, legal advice, money advice and health partners, in order to guarantee clients resolve their housing problems. It remains to be seen what positive effects this new leglislation will have.
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