Tag: COSLA

Social housing cash boost

Local authorities and registered social landlords (RSLs) are to benefit from a £44 million increase in housing subsidies, allowing them to create more social housing.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced the increase, which will give councils and housing associations an extra £16,000 per home, on the same day as the publication of a report on Affordability, Financial Capacity and Subsidy Rates, which recommended introducing higher subsidy levels.

The report was put together by a short life working group, with representatives from the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA), the Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum (GWSF), the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers (ALACHO) and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA).

Councils currently receive up to £30,000, towards the cost of building a new home, while RSLs get around £42,000.

Ms Sturgeon said: “I would like to extend my thanks to the working group for their hard work and commitment on this report. We are aware of the pressures being faced by councils and housing associations, and support the recommendations of the working group in full, including increasing subsidies by £16,000. Housing is and will remain a priority for this Government and today’s announcement of £44 million in funding brings our total budget for affordable housing to nearly £900 million over three years. Increasing the supply of affordable housing is a vital part of our efforts to build a better and fairer Scotland.

“We are now two years into our five year target of delivering at least 30,000 additional affordable homes and we are collectively making good progress towards making this target, with last month’s housing statistics showing that we have already completed almost 12,900 additional affordable homes. In announcing the end of Right to Buy last week I also signalled our commitment to ensuring that we keep and make the best use of our existing housing stock.

“Housing is central to the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities and I am confident that the additional resources announced today will strengthen our commitment to provide the people of Scotland with high quality, sustainable homes that they can afford and which meets their needs.”

COSLA President Cllr David O’Neil said: “COSLA is pleased that councils and housing association will receive an increase in the development subsidy for social housing. This increase will assist councils in responding to local housing need. It will create greater confidence amongst councils to plan for a sustainable new build social housing programme. This in turn will provide a boost to local economies and employment opportunities.”

Susan Torrance, Policy Manager for Investment, Asset Management and Development, who represented SFHA on the Working Party said: “I am delighted that the recommendations of the Working Party have been approved by the Scottish Government, representing as it did, the unanimous views of all of us who are working to build social rented and affordable housing for those in need in Scotland. New homes are needed urgently and these measures will enable us to build with the right level of subsidy to ensure rents remain affordable to those working in low paid jobs and on low incomes.”

Jim Hayton, Policy Manager for the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers (ALACHO ) added: “ALACHO very much welcomes the announcement that subsidies for new social housing construction are to be increased by an additional £16,000 per home for councils and RSLs alike.

“There is a pressing need for social housing throughout  Scotland, and this increase will give councils and their partners much needed scope to plan and deliver sustainable social housing development programmes for their communities. We also commend Scottish Government for the inclusive manner in which the working group has been encouraged to develop its report and recommendations on this important issue.”

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£25m housing boost for disadvantaged communities

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and COSLA President Councillor David O’Neill today announced a £25 million fund which aims to help transform disadvantaged areas across Scotland.

The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF), which has been developed in partnership with local authorities, will provide financial support to projects that will help to deliver large scale positive improvements to deprived areas. It will focus on projects that engage and involve local communities and those that can demonstrate the ability to deliver sustainable regeneration outcomes. The fund will be open to local authorities, urban regeneration companies and regeneration special purpose vehicles.

The Deputy First Minister and COSLA President announced the new fund during a visit to Govan Workspace in Glasgow – a project supported by the European Regional Development Fund involving the transformation of the 1670m2 derelict Fairfield Shipyard offices in Govan into 12 new workspaces for SMEs and social enterprises.

Ms Sturgeon said: “Investment in large scale regeneration projects is absolutely key for stimulating economic growth throughout Scotland. The development of this fund is a great example of how Scotland’s public bodies can work in partnership to deliver initiatives that help to create more jobs for Scottish people, while bringing our communities closer together and injecting new life into deprived and run down areas.

“Community involvement is integral to the success of the design and delivery of local economic and social regeneration initiatives. This government is absolutely clear about the contribution that regeneration makes to growing our economy and improving the life chances of Scotland’s people. I am pleased that COSLA have agreed to work with us on this initiative and that local authorities will play a fundamental role in delivery while ensuring local people are at the heart of the projects that will help to transform the spaces around them.”

Councillor David O’Neill, President of COSLA said: “Councils and their partners work at the heart of every local community and are uniquely placed to deliver regeneration outcomes with and for local communities. COSLA and Scottish Government via the creation of the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund are helping to ensure the delivery of Scotland’s regeneration strategy has the biggest economic, social and environment impact possible on local communities.

“Communities want resources focused on delivering large scale regeneration projects which can also deliver wider impacts of job creation, clearing up land as well as regenerating buildings and infrastructure. We believe the fund as envisaged will deliver long term strategic and transformational change. I look forward to seeing the outcomes of this fund at local level throughout Scotland over the next few years. Scotland’s identity is to a large extent local and so are people’s expectations, this fund will enable local authorities to deliver local communities expectations of the places they want to live in and be proud of for years to come.”

ScottishHosuingNews

 

Don’t blame us for Bedroom Tax – COSLA

Don’t shoot the messenger was the clear message from Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) President Councillor David O’Neill today ahead of the welfare system changes being introduced by the Westminster coalition government on 1 April. The COSLA President said that Scottish local government was bracing itself to deal with the devastating fallout which the welfare and benefit reforms would bring.

Councillor O’Neill also expressed his anger that it would be Scotland’s Councils who would be the ones left to pick up the pieces – despite them having nothing whatsoever to do with the introduction of the controversial reforms. The COSLA President added that this legislation would have a real and long term damaging effect on many of the most vulnerable in society and put even more strain on local government services that are already creaking under pressure.

Councillor O’Neill said: “It is ironic that the first batch of these welfare and benefit reforms come into force on April fools’ day, because believe me there is nothing remotely humorous about them. Make no mistake here – no blame whatsoever can be put at the door of Scotland’s Councils for either introducing these measures or for the devastating impact that this legislation is about to have on our communities. Our role in this is to manage the consequences in the way that does the least possible damage to our communities and that will be a very, very difficult task.

“COSLA as an organisation and I as President cannot stand idly by and allow local government’s reputation and the credibility of individual councils to take the hit for this because these welfare changes are not of our doing. No part of my speaking out on this issue should be seen as a suggestion that we do not embrace change or that we do not recognise the need for some change within the current system.

He went on: “I am simply pointing out to those who will be hardest hit by these changes that it is not their local council to blame. Indeed Councils are going to be hit themselves with the double whammy of the massive increase in people seeking our help at a time of diminishing resources. Sadly, what is actually being proposed in terms of welfare reform and the damage it will do is both extreme and ill thought out. The huge damage it will do to our communities is not something that COSLA can support, and nor should others.

“The UK Government is transferring cost and responsibility for the needs of people on benefit onto local government. It is impossible for Councils to subsidise the levels of cuts people will experience but we will do everything within our power to support the most vulnerable in our communities.”

Councillor O’Neill (pictured below) concluded: “We had hoped that the Coalition Government at Westminster were willing to work with us, and listen to some of these concerns. We had hoped that they would be reasonable and consider how to prevent the negative impact of these changes on councils, services and most importantly on people. That seems not to be the case.”

COSLA