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Housing discussion report published
02/04/2008
A report on responses to the Scottish Government's housing discussion paper, Firm Foundations: the Future of Housing in Scotland, is published today.
The report provides a summary and analysis of the 387 responses that the public and housing industry stakeholders submitted following Firm Foundations' publication in October 2007.
Welcoming the report, which was produced by Tribal Consulting, Communities and Sport Minister Stewart Maxwell said:
"Firm Foundations detailed radical and ambitious proposals to improve supply, quality and choice in Scotland's housing.
"I am grateful to everyone who took part in this discussion and I am delighted we received contributions from such a diverse group of people and organisations.
"Over the coming weeks I will discuss responses with CoSLA and other stakeholders. Following these discussions, the Government will announce the broad direction of its policies for meeting Scotland's housing needs in June."
On October 31, 2007, the Scottish Government published its discussion document Firm Foundations: the future of housing in Scotland. This described the Government's vision for an increased supply of housing across all tenures, all of which is delivered on the basis of higher environmental and design standards; more choice of housing that those on lower incomes can afford; housing developments that contribute to the creation of sustainable, mixed communities; and social housing that provides better value for public expenditure.
To achieve that vision, Firm Foundations proposed:
- Setting a target to increase the rate of new housing supply to at least 35,000 houses a year by the middle of the next decade
- Launching a Scottish Sustainable Communities Initiative
- Helping first time buyers through the creation of LIFT: the Government's low cost initiative for first time buyers
- Encouraging the private rented sector to flourish and play a full role in meeting housing need
- Improving the choice available to homeless people
- Offering local authorities financial incentives to build new council houses
- Ending the right to buy on all new social housing
- Using more efficient delivery to increase the supply of new housing association housing
- Modernising the regulation of social housing
By the time the consultation period ended on January 25, the Government had received 387 responses from local authorities, tenant and community groups, housing associations and a range of other housing stakeholders and private individuals.
The Government appointed Tribal Communications to analyse and summarise the responses.