1. Home Connections Conference 16th October
Does Scotland Do It better ?
Jim Hayton – ALACHO Policy Manager

2. Why Scotland’s different
Scottish Parliament est.1998, with 73 MSPs elected by PR)
Since 2007 governed by SNP, with large majority since 2011 ( hence referndum)
Devolution means control of health, housing, education and other services
But not foreign policy, defence, welfare and taxation
Finance under “Barnett formula” (Scotland gets roughly 10% of Westminster resources)
& so able to pursue distinctive policy (elderly care, prescriptions tuition fees etc)
Scale (everyone knows each other too !)

3. Housing Policy - What’s Different About Scotland ?
Affordable Housing Supply
Right to Buy
HRA Accounts
Private Rented Sector
Homelessness / Housing Options
Welfare reform
Health &Social Care?

4. Affordable Housing Supply
Grants 40k for Councils / 58k for HAs
Target 6000pa affordable (4000 social) – on target but not enough
Ave rent council c £65
Ave HA rent c £75
Ave council England c£80-£85
Ave HA England ?

5. Right to Buy Shortly to be abolished in Scotland (two year window)
Wide consultation and broad consensus on abolition
Had been popular with tenants(and lucrative for councils ) but tailed off significantly in recent years (discounts and impact of recession)
Last minute “spike” in applications

6. HRA Treatment
Virtually no central government control over rents, or borrowing
Recent guidance helpful to housing (i.e. no “leakage” permitted into general expenditure)
Councils recently allowed to build again with grants to support ( though still less than) HAs

7. Private Rented Sector
Scottish strategy for PRS with key aims of increasing provision, while improving quality and standards for tenants
tenancy agreement proposes possible rent control and more SoT for tenants.
Tenant HIP
PLL registration, soon LA Regulation
Recently published consultation on PRS

8. Homelessness
Priority Need Abolished 2012 ( so every u/h hh entitled to settled accommodation)
Housing Options has greatly reduced homeless applications
Recent report from SHR – HO practice good in part but need :
Common definition of HO, Clear and consistent

9. Welfare Reform
Scotland subject to the same reforms as rest of |UK, but
Action taken to mitigate the bedroom tax (£50m pa cost to rest of Scottish budget )
Huge issue in referendum (though “only” 80,000 affected )
alarm at Osborne’s recent statement on more cuts to young and those in work bens
Scots want power over all welfare expenditure in post referendum settlement
decision in next few months from Smith commission

10. What Next ?
Scotland promised “extra powers” prior to referendum, but detail still awaited
Seems like parties will reflect housing issues in their manifestos
Will English housing policy become more like Scotland’s ?