The Scottish Executive announced (in response to an earlier taskforce report) that it would publish a Private Sector Housing (Scotland) Bill within the lifetime of the existing Parliament, with the main purpose of giving local authorities new powers to encourage home-owners and private landlords to repair and maintain their properties and ultimately to oblige home owners to meet their responsibilities. Key features of the Bill would include modernising the powers available to local authorities to tackle house condition problems in the private sector; extending the existing 'tolerable standard; and reserve powers to allow the Executive to introduce a statutory system of single surveys (pending the outcome of a pilot scheme).
Source: Press release 16 December 2003, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: SE press release | CIH press release
Date: 2003-Dec
The Scottish Executive published its programme for the environment and sustainable development. It said it wanted a Scotland that delivered sustainable development; that put environmental concerns at the heart of public policy; and that secured environmental justice for all of Scotland s communities.
Source: A Partnership for a Better Scotland: Partnership agreement, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report | SE press release
Date: 2003-Nov
A survey showed that the number of fuel poor households in Scotland had fallen from 738,000 in 1996 to 369,000 in 2002. But campaigners said the survey showed that Scottish housing fell far short of standards needed for the 21st century.
Source: Scottish House Condition Survey 2002, Communities Scotland (0131 313 0044) | Press release 14 November 2003, Shelter Scotland (0131 473 7170)
Links: Report (pdf) | Communities Scotland press release | SE press release (1) | SE press release (2) | Shelter press release | Ofgem press release (pdf) | CIH Scotland press release
Date: 2003-Nov
A report identified a number of transitional problems following the introduction of the Supporting People programme in Scotland in April 2003: up to half of all housing support services had faced cash flow difficulties as a result. (The programme is designed to provide housing-related services to vulnerable people, to promote greater independence.)
Source: Andrew Waugh, In Need of Support?: Survey of Supporting People providers six months on, Scottish Council for Single Homeless (0131 226 4382)
Links: Summary (pdf) | SCSH press release | Community Care report
Date: 2003-Nov
A study examined the aspirations of young disabled people in Scotland for housing, and their actual experiences. Young disabled people had similar aspirations to their non-disabled peers. Most wanted to leave the parental home and most did not regard their first house as a home for life. They expected eventually to form a new household with a partner and/or children and to seek suitable housing.
Source: Jo Dean, Unaddressed: Housing aspirations of young disabled people in Scotland, York Publishing Services for Joseph Rowntree Foundation, available from York Publishing Services Ltd (01904 431213)
Links: Report (pdf) | JRF Findings 973
Date: 2003-Sep
A report for the Scottish Executive said that the barriers to travelling by public transport were principally cost, time and reliability. In some places the gap between car and public transport accessibility was set to grow further, so public transport initiatives needed to be targeted and realistic. Other factors included availability of information, comfort, security, and a wide range of personal and social needs and attitudes.
Source: Derek Halden Consultancy, Barriers to Modal Shift, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Date: 2003-Sep
A report said that deposit guarantee schemes (instead of rent deposits) were effective in preventing homelessness, but were hampered by housing benefit administration and local housing markets. (A deposit guarantee is a guarantee that in the event of eventualities such as damage, theft or rent arrears, the landlord or letting agent would be recompensed up to an agreed level.)
Source: Julie Rugg, Deposit Guarantee Schemes in Scotland, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Date: 2003-Sep
A report said that, in order to achieve transport policy objectives in Scotland, capital funding for public transport would need to double; revenue funding for public transport would have to rise by 20 per cent; fares would have to fall; and parking space would need to be restricted.
Source: Colin Buchanan and Partners, Transferability of Best Practice in Transport Policy Delivery: Final report, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report
Date: 2003-Aug
Researchers developed an evidence base on rent-setting policy among social landlords in Scotland. Most council rent schemes had been in place, largely unchanged, for many years. Registered social landlord rent schemes were newer and reviewed more regularly. Nearly half of all social landlords reported that they were changing their rent-setting systems or planned to do so, because of anomalies in rent charges.
Source: Alison More, Jeanette Findlay, Kenneth Gibb, Diana Kasparova and Carl Mills, Determined Differences: Rent structures in Scottish social housing, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Date: 2003-Jun
Researchers concluded that planning guidelines published in 1999 for rural development in Scotland remained broadly valid. But they identified widespread support for the definition of a more 'aspirational' vision for the future of rural Scotland.
Source: Land Use Consultants, Evaluation of National Planning Policy Guidelines 15 (NPPG15): Rural Development, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Date: 2003-Jun
The Scottish Executive announced a regeneration package intended to 'deliver sustainable communities, encourage community ownership and ensure a decent standard for all homes'. The package included the establishment of a 'community ownership programme' to facilitate transfer of council stock to registered social landlords; regeneration funding linked to stock transfer; debt write-off for partial transfers of council stock; and funding for more than 6,000 new homes. But campaigners accused the Scottish Executive of 'betraying' its own housing agenda, by presiding over steep falls in housing investment.
Source: Press release 18.3.03, Scottish Executive (0131 556 8400) | Press release 28.3.03, Shelter Scotland (0131 473 7170)
Links: SE press release | SCVO press release
Date: 2003-Mar
A Scottish study considered ways in which longitudinal research on homelessness might help address important policy questions, and identified practical methodologies for undertaking such research.
Source: Kevin Pickering, Suzanne Fitzpatrick, Kerstin Hinds, Peter Lynn and Sarah Tipping, Tracking Homelessness: Feasibility study, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report | Summary
Date: 2003-Mar
An official taskforce published a comprehensive review of housing policy as it relates to the condition of private sector housing in Scotland, and made recommendations for action to improve the housing stock. Campaigners said an opportunity had been lost to make lasting changes to the benefit of private tenants.
Source: Stewardship and Responsibility: Policy framework for private housing in Scotland - Final report, Housing Improvement Task Force/Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566) | Press release 13.3.03, Shelter Scotland (0131 473 7170)
Links: Report (pdf) | Report
Date: 2003-Mar
The Scottish Parliament passed the Homelessness (Scotland) Bill. The Bill phased out the distinction between priority and non-priority applications for local authority assistance, with a view to ensuring that everyone assessed as unintentionally homeless is entitled to permanent accommodation by 2012. Campaigners called it a 'landmark' Bill which would never have been passed by the United Kingdom Parliament.
Source: Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566) | Press release 5.3.03, Shelter Scotland (0131 473 7170)
Links: Text of Act | SE press release | SCSH press release
Date: 2003-Mar
The Scottish Executive began consultation on plans to 'modernise' social housing, including setting national minimum quality standards for tenants of all social landlords; streamlining the whole-stock transfer programme; and improving the links between housing and regeneration investment.
Source: Modernising Scotland's Social Housing: Consultation paper, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: Consultation document (pdf) | Consultation document
Date: 2003-Mar
A report examined the issue of dealing with communal repairs in the private housing sector in Scotland. (Around 400,000 households live in tenement or flatted properties where it can be difficult to get agreement to repair and maintain the common parts including external walls, stairwells and roofs.)
Source: Ann Flint & Associates, Common Property, Common Poverty, Chartered Institute of Housing (020 7833 9712)
Links: Summary
Date: 2003-Mar
The Scottish Executive published proposals for strengthening and enhancing public involvement at all stages in the land-use planning system.
Source: Your Place, Your Plan: White Paper on public involvement in planning, Scottish Executive, TSO (0870 606 5566)
Links: White Paper (pdf) | White Paper
Date: 2003-Mar