Funding provided to landlords and tenants due to covid-19: FOI release

Information requested

1. Between March 23, 2020 to the date of this request, how much money has been paid to private housing landlords through funds established due to the impact of Covid-19? Please break this down by funding scheme. This should include any loan scheme.

2. Between March 23, 2020 to the date of this request, how much money has been paid to private housing tenants through funds established due to the impact of Covid-19? Please break this down by funding scheme. This should include any loan scheme.

Response

1. The Scottish Government opened the PRS Landlord (non-business) Covid 19 Loan Support in May 2020 to assist private landlords experiencing interruption to normal monthly rental payments. Its purpose is to support both landlords and tenants. It enables landlords to support their tenants and make arrangements to defer or reduce rent payments if their tenants have financial difficulties as a result of the pandemic.

This scheme was aimed at the private (non-business) landlords only. As 6 September £193,927.44 has been paid to private landlords. This figure consists of loans forwarded for payment, loans fully paid and loans offered.

In addition, tenants who receive support from our Tenant Hardship Loan Fund can choose to have the loan funds paid directly to their landlord (social and private) or to themselves. As at 6 September 2021, £459,642.40 of loan monies had been awarded in relation to the private rented sector tenancies. This number includes monies that will have been paid directly to private landlords and monies that will have been paid to private tenants to transfer to their landlord to repay rent arrears.

2. As at 06 September 2021 £459.642.40 of loans has been awarded in relation to private tenancies from the Tenant Hardship Loan Fund. This figure consists of loans forwarded for payment, loans fully paid and loans offered. It also includes monies that will have been paid directly to private landlords and monies that will have been paid to private tenants to transfer to their landlord.

We do not hold a breakdown of how many private rented sector tenants will have benefited from wider funds established due to the impact of Covid-19 for example through the £350m Communities Fund announced in March 2020 and the Winter Support package.

The Scottish Government has developed a digital mapping tool that provides a summary of the investment made by the Scottish Government through the communities funding package to help communities across Scotland affected by the pandemic, which you may find helpful.

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