Round 23% of houses in Scotland are social rented houses, however there’s typically a number of misconceptions about social housing and the individuals who stay in it. So, right here’s 7 belongings you may not have recognized about social housing:
1
“Social housing” goes by a number of names: Council housing, council estates and housing affiliation homes are all widespread phrases, however all of them describe types of social housing. At its coronary heart although, social housing is about genuinely reasonably priced, protected, everlasting houses.
2
Social houses and reasonably priced houses aren’t the identical factor: Whereas all social houses needs to be reasonably priced not all “reasonably priced houses” are social. Complicated proper? The time period “reasonably priced houses” is commonly used to explain a complete vary of initiatives akin to mid-market hire, low-cost homeownership and even shared fairness. However a number of these so-called “reasonably priced houses” are nonetheless financially far out of attain of the folks that want them. That’s why Shelter Scotland continues to name for extra social houses, that are genuinely reasonably priced and supply stability for the folks that stay there.
3
There was much more social housing in Scotland: In 1975 54% of houses in Scotland had been council-owned. Then, in 1980 the Proper to Purchase was launched. This gave council tenants the choice to purchase their home from the council. Within the following 30 years, greater than half 1,000,000 council houses had been offered off, whereas funding in new social housing was slashed. This left an enormous gap within the obtainable housing inventory and ready lists grew and grew.
4
There’s an enormous scarcity of social housing throughout the nation: In every of Scotland’s 4 largest cities there’s an pressing want for extra social housing. Primarily based on their councils’ personal figures, within the subsequent 5 years Edinburgh wants at the very least 7,000 social houses, Glasgow wants 3,675, Aberdeen wants 853 whereas Dundee requires 655. Failure to ship these houses will imply ready lists proceed to develop, folks will likely be extra uncovered to the chance of homelessness and communities will endure.
5
There are greater than 7,500 youngsters in Scotland with no everlasting house: Proper now, 7,510 youngsters are trapped in non permanent lodging, typically in cramped, unsuitable circumstances. The results of ready for a spot to name house are shattering. Analysis has proven, youngsters who’ve been homeless are three to 4 occasions extra more likely to expertise psychological well being issues than youngsters who’ve by no means been homeless. Academics say that youngsters who’re homeless or in dangerous housing are sometimes late, exhausted and battle to take care of relationships with different youngsters. Social housing can cease youngsters from struggling like this and finish the reliance on non permanent lodging.
6
By offering safe tenancies and genuinely reasonably priced rents, social housing provides folks long-term houses and permits them to settle. 1000’s of individuals in Scotland are presently trapped in non permanent lodging, largely as a result of there’s a critical scarcity of social housing. With rents rising within the personal sector and the price of residing going up as nicely, rising the availability of social housing is the one strategy to battle again in opposition to the housing emergency.
7
Plans are in place to ship extra social houses, however we’d like to verify they’re constructed: Native authorities have plans in place to ship extra social houses, however we have to hold the stress on to verify they’re constructed. We all know that social home constructing targets have been missed earlier than, however that may’t occur once more. The pandemic slowed down constructing tasks throughout the nation, however that simply means there’s even much less time to waste. The communities struggling on the sharp finish of the housing emergency can’t wait any longer.
