Falling Supply of Social Housing Threatens Homelessness Legislation

The Scottish Executive risks seriously undermining the implementation of the Homelessness etc. ( Scotland ) Act 2003, unless significantly more affordable rented housing is built. The new report, ‘Is Anyone Home?’ – by the Chartered Institute of Housing and Scottish Council for Single Homeless, warns that local authorities and social landlords may struggle to fulfil their legal duties to homeless households as the supply of social housing falls.

Dr. Andrew Waugh, Policy Officer for SCSH, comments:

"There is already a shortage of affordable rented housing and this problem will only get worse unless urgent action is taken by the Scottish Executive. The report produces conservative estimates of the future supply of social housing and demand as a result of homelessness. At the same time as more homeless households become eligible for permanent housing, the supply of social housing will continue to reduce. SCSH’s main concern is the effect this will have on homeless people in Scotland."

Nick Fletcher, Policy and Public Affairs Officer for the CIH in Scotland , and one of the report authors said:

"What the report shows is that without increased investment from the Scottish Executive, Local Authorities will struggle to fulfil their statutory duties to give every unintentionally homeless household the right to permanent accommodation by 2012. There is also a very real danger that targets to reduce both the reliance on and time spent in homelessness temporary accommodation will be undermined.

"This report backs up the findings of SCSH’s ‘Mind the Gap’ report and the CIH Comprehensive Spending Review submission. That is the Scottish Executive needs to be investing an additional £331m per year in building new affordable housing to rent in addition to the current expenditure is £255m.

"Our work suggests that the interim findings of the Scottish Executive’s affordable housing review are wide of the mark. The Executive appears to believe that its current investment plans for new affordable rented homes are right.. However, this does not appear to take account of the major legislative changes in the Homelessness etc. ( Scotland ) Act 2003. By not looking forward and considering the implications of the Act, the Executive may be failing to plan for the future ."

Notes to Editors

The Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland (CIH) is the only professional organisation for people who work in housing. Its purpose is to maximise the contribution that housing professionals make to the wellbeing of communities. The CIH has over 18,000 members in the UK with nearly 1,800 in Scotland . Members work within local authorities, registered social landlords, Communities Scotland, the Rent Service, voluntary organisations, educational institutions and the private sector.

SCSH is the national membership organisation for individuals and organisations working with homeless people.

Since the turn of the year, the Executive has been carrying out a wide-ranging review of affordable housing in Scotland .  These findings have been published recently by the Executive in a report by Glen Bramley, Heriot Watt University.