THE UK Supreme Court considered a Scottish homeless appeal last week in the case of X v Glasgow City Council (GCC).

The issue in dispute was whether temporary homeless accommodation provided by a local authority ought to meet the special needs of individual members of a household to be suitable in law.

For example, a severely disabled person may require their own bedroom or an individual with particular mental health issues might not be able to reside on the top floor of a multi-storey block.

Scotland’s highest civil court, the Inner House of the Court of Session, previously held that only general household needs had to be met for temporary accommodation.

Accordingly, one might have to stay in less than suitable accommodation for a few years until a suitable permanent offer of a tenancy was available.

The outcome of that appeal will provide much-needed guidance in Scotland.

I was delighted to appear in this case along with the Dean........

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