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MANIFESTO FOR HOMES
2016
Access to a safe secure and affordable place to call home is a fundamental human right and is critical to people’s health, prosperity and to the success of Scotland as a thriving and diverse country. Sadly, however, in Scotland today this is simply not a reality for far too many people.
Over successive generations we have failed to get to grips with the issues at the heart of this problem, and Scotland is now in a major housing crisis. A housing crisis with a very human cost.
There are currently over 150,000 households waiting for a home across the country and in excess of 30,000 households made a homeless application last year. Right now there are more than 10,000 households living in temporary accommodation and tomorrow morning nearly 5,000 children in Scotland will wake up homeless. The private rented sector in Scotland has doubled in the last ten years and now 85,000 families with children call this sector home. Spiralling monthly rents combined with sky high house prices, that continue to rise well above inflation, mean that for many the ambition of one day owning a home of their own is now beyond reach.
Underpinning all of these issues, the ongoing cuts to our welfare system, and a challenging sanctions regime mean that the rights and support available for some of the most vulnerable people in our society are being eroded day by day.
Scotland’s housing crisis
#homesmanifesto
A good home is central to our wellbeing both as individuals and collectively as a nation. From improving our health outcomes to raising educational attainment, reducing reoffending rates to tackling inequality, improving social mobility and genuinely realising the advantages of spend to save initiatives – all of these things depend on whether or not people in Scotland have a decent home.
The ambitions and commitments outlined in this Manifesto for Homes build on the recommendations from the landmark report from the Commission on Housing and Wellbeing in 2015 and are the policies that Shelter Scotland will be campaigning for all political parties to sign up to in the run up to and beyond the 2016 Holyrood Election. We hope that all candidates will commit to putting homes at the very heart of Scotland’s politics in the years ahead.
Shelter Scotland
Scotland’s housing crisis
The main thing was reassuranceI wasn’t losing my home.
Shelter Scotland service user
DELIVER AHOME FOREVERYONEIN SCOTLAND
Commitment 1
DELIVER AHOME FOREVERYONEIN SCOTLAND
#homesmanifesto
HOWBuild at least 12,000 affordable rented homes each year for the lifetime of the parliament, with most of these being socially rented homes
Raise the quality of Scotland’s housing stock with a new Common Housing Quality Standard for all homes
Bring more empty homes back into use by introducing appropriate financial incentives to encourage empty homes work as well as a Compulsory Sale Order power for empty buildings
WHY
There are
27,000long term empty
homes in Scotland
Research shows the need for
12,000affordable homes
to be built each year to tackle the homes
crisis
households are currently waiting
for a home across Scotland
150,000
Commitment 2
TACKLEROOT CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS& MEET THE NEEDSOF EVERY HOMELESS PERSON
TACKLE ROOT CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS& MEET THE NEEDSOF EVERY HOMELESS PERSON
#homesmanifesto
HOWProtect and enhance funding available for services that prevent and tackle homelessness
Produce a National Homelessness Strategy for Scotland that delivers better housing and support for the most vulnerable
Improve access to good quality temporary accommodation across Scotland
WHY
households in temporary
accommodation in Scotland, including
4,923 children
35,764 10,567homeless
applications in 2014/15
households are living in
overcrowded conditions in
Scotland
74,000
Commitment 3
MAKEPRIVATE RENTINGRIGHT
MAKEPRIVATE RENTINGRIGHT
#homesmanifesto
HOW Deliver stability and security for private renters through the new private tenancy in Scotland
Focus on private landlord registration to ensure local authorities take targeted action against landlords who break the law
Provide tenants with the support, advice and representation they need to challenge bad landlords
WHY
There are currently
private rented households have
children
The number ofhouseholds living in
the private rented sector has
in the last 10 years
330,000 1 in 4more than doubled
households living in privately
rented homes across Scotland
Commitment 4
PUT HOMES AT THE HEART OF SOCIAL JUSTICE& TACKLINGCHILD POVERTY
PUT HOMES AT THE HEART OF SOCIAL JUSTICE& TACKLINGCHILD POVERTY
#homesmanifesto
HOWPut homes at the heart of Scotland’s new welfare system to ensure that it reduces poverty, promotes dignity and the human rights of all those that need it
Ensure information and support is available to all tenants affected by welfare reforms and the roll out of Universal Credit
Abolish the Bedroom Tax and commit to mitigating the impact of cuts to the housing safety net
Improve public health by ensuring housing is at the heart of health and social care integration in Scotland
WHY
In 2013/14 after housing costs over
people in Scotland are affected by
the bedroom tax
of the homeless population will
suffer long term health difficulties,
compared to 28% of the general population
1 million71,000 41%
people (20% of Scotland’s
population) lived in absolute poverty
Facts about the housing crisis
There are currently Scottish children spent
households are living in
overcrowded conditions in
Scotland
In 2014/15 over
people contacted our helpline with concerns about
their housing
150,000
845,000
1million
1 in 4
21,000
74,000
households on council waiting lists
across Scotland
households are living in fuel poverty in Scotland – 35% of all households
days in temporary accommodation in
2015
people in Scotland are worried about
paying for their home in 2016
PEOPLE
HOMESAcross all tenures, the current quality of Scotland’s homes is a major issue of concern
More and more people are suffering from homelessness or bad housing
#homesmanifesto
Facts about the housing crisis
On average homeless children
miss
The average house price in Scotland
increased by
lower than the Scottish average
Poor housing increases the risk of severe ill-health or disability by up to
during childhood and early adulthood
was spent on housing benefit in
Scotland in 2014/15 including around £500m to private sector landlords
55 days
61%
10 years
400,000
25%
£1.8bn
of school a year.
between 2004 – 2014 by 2037
Life expectancy for the 20% most
deprived communities is almost
The overall number of households in
Scotland is projected to
increase by almost
WELLBEING
SCOTLANDScotland has an ageing population and we are not meeting current or future housing need
The housing crisis is impacting on people’s health, wellbeing and life chances
Get involved
www.shelterscotland.org/manifesto
If you want to help tackle Scotland’s housing crisis, find out more and join our campaign at:
Email: [email protected]: 0344 515 2456
Or follow us on Social Media:
shelterscotland
shelterscotland
shelterscotland
To donate £3 to our work, text SHELTER to 70213.
Call our free, national helpline for housing advice: 0808 800 4444.
#homesmanifesto
www.shelterscotland.org/manifesto
It’s over a year and a half since I’ve been in a home… I want somewhere I can call mine.
Shelter Scotland service user
It’s made me depressed not having a place to call my own, it affected college: I had low attendance as I was depressed so I left.
Shelter Scotland service user
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I SU
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#hom
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