Glasgow City Council is being urged to back a housing union’s campaign to reduce the eviction rate this winter and prevent homelessness.

Councillor Tanya Wisely from the city’s Green Group will present a motion at Thursday’s full council meeting highlighting Living Rent’s call for a “winter break”.

The aim is to prevent the additional risks associated with evictions happening during the coldest months of the year.

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Ms Wisely will ask the council to write to Housing Minister Kevin Stewart and ask him to consider ways to reduce evictions, especially during winter months, in Scotland.

The motion she hopes members will back states: “The council understands there are a variety of ways that this policy intent could be achieved, ranging from an eviction ban similar to that which already exists in France, a requirement to rehouse, stronger pre-action requirements which take into consideration people’s situation or a stronger emergency housing safety net.

“The council supports this as part of a wider package of action to reduce evictions, and to better support tenants who are facing eviction, recognising that the main route into homelessness is still through a loss of tenancy.”

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Living Rent, Scotland’s tenants’ union, has launched an online petition for a “winter break” from evictions to stop any new deaths on the street in Scotland.

It comes as Shelter Scotland estimated that 5,000 people sleep rough on Scotland’s streets every year with the main route to homelessness being the loss of a tenancy.

In Glasgow, 39 people died between May 2016 and March 2017 with the risk much higher during the winter months.

Living Rent wants the Scottish Government to adopt a similar policy to France which has had a “winter break” since December 1956.

It helps protect residents from being thrown out into the cold from November 1 until March 31.

This covers people in temporary accommodation from being evicted or such temporary structures from being destroyed.

The winter break law helps reduce the risk of people having to sleep rough during the winter and reduces winter deaths.

Councillor Wisely will ask the other political groups to support Living Rent in their call to the Scottish Government to implement a similar law against evictions during the winter.

The motion will be discussed tomorrow.