The Chartered Institute of Housing in Scotland has urged the Scottish Executive to launch an inquiry into the dearth of affordable housing.
In a strongly worded letter, the CIH pointed to research that showed there was a need for 202,646 affordable homes, and said the executive’s pledge to build 18,000 affordable homes by 2006 “will not tackle the current shortage”.

A report by Communities Scotland last week showed that the Scottish Executive would only be funding 6000 new or improved homes in the coming year. It also revealed that the total number of people on Scottish housing waiting lists in March 2002 was 156,000, yet only just over 30,000 people were allocated a house in the previous year. Scotland also has 250,000 fewer council and housing association homes than 10 years ago, adding pressure on people seeking to rent from councils.

Nick Fletcher, policy and public affairs officer for CIH Scotland, said: “We need far more investment in housing in Scotland. There is no indication that the executive is improving the housing situation, and with the further pressure on the social rented sector with the Housing Act, it is essential that the executive come up with some solutions before it turns into a crisis.”

The CIH’s letter comes at the same time as the introduction of new housing and homelessness legislation in Scotland that includes giving all homeless people the right to housing.

Source

Housing Today