Stirling Council has been allocated over £100,000 funding as part of the Scottish Government’s £10 million Tenant Grant Fund to help those struggling with COVID-19 related rent arrears.
This funding will enable Stirling Council to sustain tenancies and prevent homelessness by reducing, alleviating, or paying off rent arrears built up between 23 March 2020 and 9 August 2021. The grant will prioritise those in private and social tenancies who are most at risk of eviction as a direct result of the pandemic.
Stirling MSP and former housing professional Evelyn Tweed has voiced her support of this “much-needed action” saying: “The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted lives and livelihoods across Stirling in a whole range of ways – from employment and education, to health and social wellbeing.
“We cannot allow the legacy of the pandemic to be one of entrenched inequality, and targeted state intervention such as this can provide households the urgent assistance they need to get back on their feet.”
Stirling MP Alyn Smith has also welcomed the funding: “The role of Government is to protect and serve its citizens, and once more the Scottish Government is demonstrating through clear action how it lives up to those values.
“Working in partnership with local government, this scheme will provide direct assistance to those at risk of eviction, and coupled with other targeted measures, will help reduce and prevent homelessness.
“COVID-19 has severely disrupted lives but through such measures, we can help those who need it most. Preventative action can help break the cycle of poverty.”
The Scottish Government announced its intention to launch the £10 million Tenant Grant Fund earlier in June and began working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) to allocate a one-off grant payment to each local authority.
The new fund takes the Scottish Government’s total support for tenants during the pandemic to almost £39 million.
The Tenant Grant Fund is available until the end of March 2022. There is no application process and local authorities will instead use their discretion to determine whether the grant is appropriate in individual circumstances.
Featured Image Credit: Winging The World
News Editor at Brig Newspaper
Fourth year Journalism Studies at the University of Stirling
