Tenants urged to take up rent payment help

Nearly half the Council tenants in Edinburgh subject to the UK Government’s under-occupancy charge – better known as the ‘bedroom tax’ – have not applied for extra help to pay their rent despite facing growing arrears and debt, it’s been revealed.

Almost 3,000 Council tenants are under-occupying their home and face paying between £14 and £25 per week as their housing benefit doesn’t pay for their extra room, but only around 1,500 of these tenants have applied for extra help available from the Council through Discretionary Housing Payments.

The Council was awarded extra funds from the Scottish Government in September this year, bringing the total available for Discretionary Housing Payments to over £3 million.

Recent figures from the Council’s housing service showed an estimated £1.25 million of arrears are attributable to people not paying the under-occupancy charge, which has been dubbed the ‘bedroom tax’.

City Housing Leader Councillor Cammy Day said yesterday: “It’s critical that hard-pressed tenants seek the extra help the Council is offering in the form of Discretionary Housing Payments, otherwise they face getting deeper into debt.

“Staff from the Council and advice agencies have been holding special surgeries and writing to, visiting and calling tenants over the last few months but ultimately tenants need to apply for the assistance available or they will lose out. I would urge any tenant who hasn’t yet applied for extra help to get in touch with their local housing office without delay.”

The under-occupancy charge was introduced to encourage tenants with a spare room to move to a smaller home. On average there is only ever one single bedroom property available to let for every 80 under-occupying households in the city.

Council tenants affected by the under-occupancy charge are encouraged to contact or call in to their local housing office for advice.

£300 million government boost for affordable housing

Fund to help deliver 6000 affordable homes

Hundreds of millions of pounds are to be spent across Scotland on increasing the supply of affordable housing, creating jobs and boosting the economy, it was confirmed today.

All 32 of Scotland’s local authorities have today been allocated a share of £300 million in subsidy for affordable homes as part of the Government’s investment of £391 million to the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) in 2015/16.

The remaining £91 million will be managed centrally, with £30 million for the Low Cost Initiative for First Time Buyers, £10 million for the Home Owners Support Fund, and funding for increased subsidies for homes built to a greener standard. The rest will go to other affordable housing projects, including those that promote innovation.

The funding will support delivery of over 6000 affordable homes, including 4000 social homes.

The funding for councils comes on top of an extra £27 million which was added to their 2014/15 allocations earlier this month , and brings the Scottish Government’s four-year investment in local programmes to over £1 billion, out of a total AHSP budget of £1.35 billion.

Housing Minister Margaret Burgess made the announcement in Edinburgh today.

She said: “This is a substantial funding boost that will support house building across Scotland. We have listened to councils and housing associations and put in place a system of funding for housing which will provide greater certainty and allow councils to make plans for the future.

“Housing is and will remain a priority for this Government and we will continue to invest in new affordable homes. Despite the severe cuts to our budgets by the UK Government, this is a substantial funding boost that will support house building across Scotland.

“This funding keeps us on track to deliver more than 6000 affordable homes per year, of which 4000 will be social homes. But we must continue to work together to get the most from our resources and ensure that we deliver our vision that everyone should have a safe, warm home which they can afford.”

Alan Ferguson, Director of the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland, said:

“When the budget announcement was made in September, CIH Scotland was very happy to join with other bodies in welcoming the outline budget of £391 million for the Affordable Housing Supply Programme in 2015/16.

“This budget represents an increase of around 21 per cent on the average annual spend of £323 million within the current programme. Making these Resource Planning Assumptions now gives councils and their housing association partners the best possible chance of pushing ahead with building much needed homes across Scotland.”

Earlier this year Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced an increase to housing subsidies, which will give councils and housing associations an extra £16,000 per home. Councils now receive around £46,000, towards the cost of building a new home, while RSLs get around £58,000, or more in certain remote areas.

What does ‘home’ mean to you?

The city council is running an art competition for schoolchildren from Muirhouse, Pilton and Pennywell to mark the start of construction of new homes in West Pilton Crescent – and the closing date for entries is fast approaching.

‘What does home mean to you?’ is the appropriate theme of the competition which is open to pupils of Pirniehall, St David’s, Craigroyston and Forthview, Oaklands and Craigroyston Community High School. Entries can be drawings, paintings, a collage or photographs – but your artwork must be submitted by the closing date of next Friday, 25 October.

Winners of the various categories (see the attached poster) will be announced on

Thursday 21 November. Good luck!

Varcity North ‘a game changer’

The combination of a quality spacious apartment, coupled with a very competitive price tag at Miller homes’ Varcity North development has proved to be a game changer for First Time Buyers looking to get a foot on the property ladder in Edinburgh.

The recent announcement that the Scottish Government has introduced Help to Buy (Scotland) is already attracting more first time buyers in to view and with over 75% of the current Belford campus now sold, buyers will need to move quickly to secure one of the remaining apartments.

Varcity North is a contemporary development offering 209 one, two and three bedroom apartments across five campuses off Crewe Road North.

Combining functionality and style, the apartments offer a good-sized open-plan lounge and dining area, together with a substantial master bedroom, creating a sense of space throughout, and with prices starting from £99,000 for a one bedroom apartment, Varcity North is fast creating a thriving Edinburgh community.

Anne Marie Britton, Sales Director for Miller Homes Scotland East said: “We are delighted that first time buyers are attracted to the quality, value and affordability at Varcity North. The spacious apartments offer an excellent opportunity for first time buyers to get onto the property ladder at a time when stability is starting to return to the market in Edinburgh. Varcity North is proving to be a popular destination for savvy house-hunters.”

For more information, go towww.millerhomes.co.uk or call 0808 250 6468. The sales centre is open Thursday to Monday from 11am to 6pm.

Househunters can also logon via the Miller Homes’ website to book an appointment with an adviser at the development.

Help to Buy scheme launched

A £12billion scheme to help thousands of people buy a home of their own will be launched today (Tues 8 Oct) by the Prime Minister and Chancellor. David Cameron said Help to Buy will ‘turn the dream of home ownership a reality for many’.

High Street banks including Natwest, RBS, Halifax and Bank of Scotland will start offering new Help to Buy mortgages this week, and others are to follow: Virgin Money has also confirmed they will participate in the scheme, and will be offering new guaranteed mortgages to borrowers in the New Year. Aldermore Bank has confirmed that it is joining the scheme in January, and is exploring whether this date can be brought forward.

Natwest and RBS customers will be able to start the process of applying for a mortgage today, with other banks to follow in the next few days.

The Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee is aimed at thousands of people frozen out of the housing market because they cannot afford large deposits of up to 20 per cent of a property’s value.

It means someone trying to buy a £200,000 house currently needs to save up a deposit of £40,000.

Leading banks will offer a range of new Help to Buy mortgages – up to 95 per cent of the property’s value – for homes worth up to £600,000.

Under the scheme, buyers will only need a deposit of as little as 5 per cent.

Depending on the size of deposit, the government will then guarantee up to 15 per cent of the property’s value, in return for a fee from the lender.

There will be scheme advertisements in national newspapers from tomorrow, banks are braced for a flood of interest from the public.

The launch of the scheme has been brought forward by three months, as the details are finalised and lenders are in a position to start offering the mortgages.

Lenders can start offering the mortgages now, and they will be guaranteed by the government from January 2014. As it usually takes a few months for borrowers to go through the mortgage completion process, this delay is not a problem for lenders. If borrowers do complete before January their mortgage will be included in the scheme.

Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Too many hardworking people are finding it impossible to buy their own home – people who can afford the monthly mortgage payments but haven’t got rich parents and can’t pay the deposit up front.

“There is a need for Government to act. Buying your first home is about far more than four walls to sleep at night. It’s somewhere to put down roots and raise a family. It’s an investment for the future. Above all, it’s a sign that everything you’ve put in has been worth it.

“Our Help to Buy Equity Loans, have already helped over 15000 people buy a new home. But we’ve got to go further and finish the job we’ve started. So from today, thousands of people will be able to get a foot on the housing ladder by applying for the new Help to Buy mortgage guarantee. If you’ve got 5 per cent of the funds for a mortgage deposit, we’re providing a guarantee to the banks to help you get the rest.

“Help to Buy is going to make the dream of home ownership a reality for many who would otherwise have been shut out. This goes right to the heart of my vision for Britain – a country where everyone who works hard can get on in life. Moves such as Help to Buy will also encourage housebuilding. If potential buyers can’t buy, builders won’t build – so this is an important part of unlocking the market.”

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne added: “Through Help to Buy: mortgage guarantee I want to help those families that have saved for years, earn decent salaries, but cannot afford the deposits currently being asked for by the banks. I want young people to have the same chance of getting on the property ladder as their parents and grandparents.

“Too many people are still being denied the dream of owning their own home, which is why we have brought forward the launch of this scheme, so as of today borrowers can start applying for a mortgage with a five per cent deposit.”

Shelter urges ten year plan to tackle homelessness

A new 10-year action plan to address homelessness prevention and crisis services must be put in place if Scotland wants to remain a world leader on the issue, according to Shelter Scotland.

The housing charity believes that an action plan will help Scotland to maintain focus and deliver the ongoing commitment made through the country’s landmark 2012 homelessness legislation – which gave every unintentionally homeless person the right to settled accommodation.

Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: “We now need to build a homelessness service that has the person at its heart and enables homeless people to make choices that are right for them”.

The call for a 10-year action plan comes ahead of Shelter Scotland’s annual conference: ‘Housing, homelessness, advice and prevention’, which will see experts focus on the impact of bad housing on health inequalities in Scotland, and other key priorities for the sector.

The charity believes the 10-year action plan must respond to current and future challenges for housing and homelessness advice services and set out the key objectives at national and local level. It should be built with the aim of delivering person-centred services which allow flexibility and choice, and lead to sustainable housing outcomes forall service users.

Last year there were 39,827 homelessness applications in Scotland with 10,471 families and individuals in temporary accommodation.

Graeme Brown said: “Scotland has the most progressive homelessness legislation in the world, but that doesn’t mean that homelessness has gone away. It still exists in all its various forms. Meeting the 2012 commitment was an important landmark but we now need to look forward to the next ten years to ensure that progress continues and we don’t take any backward steps.

“We now need to work in partnership and build a homelessness service that has the person at its heart and enables homeless people to make choices that are right for them. This is about people, not processes.”

He concluded: “We expect the coming years to be extremely challenging as a result of welfare reforms and the introduction of Universal Credit – which is set to bring even more disruption to people’s lives. While we hope there isn’t a rise in homelessness, we must be prepared for the challenges that undoubtedly lie ahead. A ten-year action plan would be the best place to start.”

Ainslie Park housing consultation today

Community Consultation Exhibition

Former Telford College North Campus (Ainslie Park School) Crewe Road North

Miller Homes is hosting a second consultation regarding its proposal to develop this site. A drop-in exhibition to view the latest proposals is being held today:

Thursday 3 October between 2pm and 7pm

At Varcity North – Sales Centre

Crewe Road North

Further information from Caroline Owen at GVA on 0131 469 6068 or caroline.owen@gva.co.uk

Work under way on West Pilton’s 21st Century Homes

Pupils from St David’s and Pirniehall Primary Schools rolled their sleeves up to lend a hand when work on the new 21st Century Homes development at West Pilton Crescent got underway last week. The children had the honour of cutting the first little sods … and no, definitely no further comments!

Our thanks for Councillor Vicki Redpath for the photographs

Affordable housing development opens in Lindsay Road

The latest affordable homes – and the first mixed-tenure development – by Port of Leith Housing Association (PoLHA) and its subsidiary Persevere Developments Ltd, has been officially opened.

Councillor Andrew Burns, Leader for the City of Edinburgh Council, welcomed 111 households to a block of new, high-quality properties in Lindsay Road, making a significant impact in the regeneration of the area.

The £13.6 million waterfront development, compromising 58 social rent and 53 mid-market rent (MMR) properties, contains a wide range of housing types from one bedroom through to four bedroom apartments.

Features include car parking for 29 spaces and a communal landscaped garden area. Solar thermal panels located on the roof will provide hot water for a number of properties with condensing gas boilers supplying heating and hot water.

Councillor Burns said: “This is a fantastic development, forming an integral part of North Edinburgh’s regeneration. It is vital that we tackle the city’s shortage of affordable homes and projects like this are an important step in the right direction.

“The success of this project is testament to the partnership working between the Council, housing associations, Forth Ports and the community – a model that will continue to use in order to provide much-needed homes but also to create jobs and boost the local economy.”

This is the second affordable housing project within the Western Harbour development on Edinburgh’s waterfront, the first being Goosander Place completed in May 2010.

Keith Anderson, Chief Executive at PoLHA, said: “This is our second affordable housing development in Western Harbour and complements our existing mix through Leith and North Edinburgh.

“Much-needed, high-quality, affordable housing for local people to buy and rent is at the top of our agenda and we’re pleased to be able to offer both social and MMR properties. MMR is a new type of tenure to help households on modest incomes to rent high quality accommodation at an affordable level.”

PoLHA worked closely with the Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council which allocated £6.4 million of grant monies for the development. An additional £7.2 million was funded through private finance raised by the Association.

Council leader Andrew Burns is pictured with PoLHA Chief Executive Keith Anderson, PoLHA Chairperson Jack Hunter and Councillor Eric Milligan at Friday’s event