Housing is, strictly speaking, a devolved matter, but these issues are impacted by the actions of both the UK and Scottish governments – whether in deciding levels of the affordable housing investment grant at Holyrood, or putting in place benefits regulations and fuel poverty measures at Westminster.
There have been indications this week from both governments that they will increase public spending to combat the looming recession – funds which Scotland's housing sector should be in line for a healthy slice of.
In August, the Scottish Governmen
t announced plans to bring forward £100 million of spending on affordable housing to 2008-9. While the move will give the construction industry and affordable housing a boost, it will not solve the problems of either. There remains a need for additional funding to provide enough affordable housing.
There has never been a better time for the affordable housing sector to put forward its case for a share of extra funding.
While most housing associations have seen their funding from the Scottish Government fall this year – by an average 15 per cent – Fife has been particularly tightly squeezed, suffering a 39 per cent drop in affordable housing investment grant.
With attention fixed on Fife in the run-up to the Glenrothes by-election, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) and the Fife Housing Associations Alliance have an opportunity to highlight this anomaly.
The issues that people are talking about on the doorsteps – cost of living, energy bills, the housing market collapse, how to find affordable housing – are concerns of SFHA's members and tenants. For its upcoming housing hustings in Glenrothes on Tuesday, the SFHA commissioned a film made in Fife encapsulating the concerns of housing associations and tenants. It uncovered some real problems.
For example, the UK government is looking at reforming the way benefits are paid. The option open to recipients to have their housing benefit paid directly to their landlord may be removed – this will increase temptation to spend the rent on other necessities when times are tight.
The credit crunch means that the money available to housing associations is more expensive, which has the potential of slowing development or even forcing up rents. Meanwhile, the reduced availability of mortgages means more people are turning to social landlords rather than putting a foot on the first rung of the ownership ladder.
Anne Dickie, director of Glenrothes-based Glen Housing says: "The threat is that housing associations will not be able to build as many houses for people who need to rent. We have seen an increase in the number of people wanting to rent our houses, people who would previously have tried to get mortgages."
Andrew Saunders, chief executive at Ore Valley in Cardenden, revealed that while his association has a stock of 350 properties, it has a waiting list of 300 – and only around 40 re-lets a year.
By boosting the coffers of housing associations, which have the expertise and local knowledge to produce badly-needed affordable housing, efficiently and to high standards, our political leaders can not only provide jobs for the faltering construction industry, they can also discharge their moral obligations to ensure Scotland has a good-quality, affordable housing stock for as many of its people as possible in these difficult economic times.
• Jacqui Watt is the chief executive of SFHA. The housing hustings takes place at 7pm on 28 October in the Rothes Halls, Glenrothes.
