Tag: right to buy

Saving energy in Wester Hailes

Five hundred households, both private and council-owned, living in mixed tenure properties across the Wester Hailes area are to benefit from energy efficient upgrades and revitalised buildings.

This follows an extensive large-scale common repairs and maintenance works programme to renovate 66 low-rise blocks in the first year due to complete by summer this year (2022).

This is part of the City of Edinburgh Council’s ground-breaking three-year Mixed Tenure Improvement Service (MTIS) pilot which gave an update on progress to date for the blocks across Murrayburn, Drumbryden and Hailesland to the Finance and Resources Committee today (3 March).

The programme will now be rolled out across the city to help accelerate energy efficiency fabric maintenance and repairs in mixed tenure blocks to benefit more tenants. This is due to the success of the pilot to date in engaging with private owners – with scheme decisions to progress being made in 75% of minority council-owned blocks – and securing sizable energy efficiency grant support through the Scottish Government Energy Efficient Scotland, Area Based Scheme.

Councillors have also agreed to extend the Council’s Scheme of Assistance (SoA). This will, as part of the MTIS, offer enhanced debt repayment terms* to help all private owner occupiers meet their repairs and maintenance responsibilities and allow them to consider more options for funding their share of the cost of works within all Council-led capital improvement, mixed tenure property projects.

Works being carried out on behalf of all owners across the current MTIS pilot includes repairs and replacement of roofing, guttering, drying room facades, installation of external wall and attic insulation, together with the maintenance and decoration of communal stairwell spaces.

This MTIS pilot is aiming to carry this out in 181 mixed tenure blocks in Murrayburn, Hailesland and Dumbryden over a three-year period to the benefit of all residents and tenants, improving the aesthetics, energy efficiency, safety and security and the overall value of properties in the long term.

Cllr Kate Campbell, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “Bringing all our housing stock up to a good condition, making homes energy efficient, warm and affordable to heat is very important, both for tenants and for owners in these blocks.

“Council officers have worked hard to support private owners throughout this MTIS pilot. As a result, we’re helping owner occupiers meet their share of the energy efficiency improvement works by supporting them to access up to £15,500 each in Energy Efficient Scotland (EES) funding. Supporting private owner occupiers with enhanced re-payment terms will help too, and this is now being extended to others in a similar situation.

“The mixed tenure improvement service continues to be an incredibly successful as a pilot, and I’m so pleased that we are expanding this programme as it will play a crucial role in dealing with the legacy issues caused by right to buy. We can now invest in many more homes making much needed improvements to homes and blocks across the city.”

Cllr Mandy Watt, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Vice Convener, said: “We have a long way to go as part of this three-year programme to improve 181 blocks but this has been a great start.

“In this pilot’s first year we will have improved the standard of living and conditions of a huge number of people in Wester Hailes. The buildings that we’ve completed so far look fantastic and really lift the look and feel of these neighbourhoods.

“We hope once the programme has been completed across all of Murrayburn, Hailesland and Dumbryden, the communities will feel a real sense of pride in their homes which fit in so much better with the new build developments close by.

“We have strong ambitions as a Council and as a city to become a sustainable and net zero Capital by 2030. Housing is a huge factor in getting there and getting our existing housing stock better insulated and energy efficient will be key – which in turn will help to keep people warmer while helping to reduce energy bills.”

* extending the period for payment plans with the Council for owner occupiers to up to 15 years and a reduction in the interest rate from 6% to 4%.

Holyrood votes to end Right to Buy

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The Scottish Parliament has voted to end the right to buy social housing. The Housing (Scotland) Bill passed at Holyrood yesterday will prevent the sale of up to 15,500 social houses over the next ten years and support improvements to the private rented sector. Housing charities have welcomed the decision.

The Bill will end the Right to Buy social housing in Scotland over the next two years, giving tenants time to consider their options and find financial advice if they want to exercise their right to buy their home

The legislation will establish a private rented sector tribunal which gives tenants and landlords access to specialist justice and allow them to resolve disputes more effectively.

Changes to mobile home site licensing will also improve the rights of over 3,000 households, many of whom are elderly, living permanently in mobile or park homes across Scotland.

Other measures in the Bill include introducing a regulatory framework for letting agents and giving local authorities new discretionary powers to tackle poor housing conditions in the private sector.

Housing Minister Margaret Burgess said: “This is a historic day for housing as it marks the end of Right to Buy social housing in Scotland.

“Stakeholders from across the sector have given this legislation widespread support as they recognise that we have put together a package of measures which will help improve housing in the social, private rented and owner-occupied sectors.

“Today I put forward a number of amendments to the letting agent provisions in the Bill to provide a robust regulatory framework that will ensure consistent and high standards of service for tenants and landlords across Scotland.

“I am very grateful to all those who have contributed their views on the Bill over the last nine months and more. But legislation is only one of many actions that this Government is taking to improve housing in Scotland.

“This government continues to invest in affordable housing. Earlier this week the First Minister confirmed we have invested £1 billion in affordable housing since April 2011, putting us well on track to delivering an additional 30,000 homes across Scotland by March 2016. This investment is supporting 8,000 jobs in each year of the five-year parliamentary term.

“This Bill is a landmark step forward for housing. With the full powers of independence we will have greater control to tailor our grants and housing supply investment, and to integrate housing and welfare policies to meet the needs of our communities and the homebuilding industry in Scotland.”

Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative Government introduced the right to buy policy in 1980 and it has proved to be very popular in Scotland – around 534,000 tenants have taken advantage of the scheme to purchase their homes at a discounted rate from their local council or social landlord.

But while Right-to-Buy was a hit with buyers, the loss – and non-replacement – of prime social housing has meant even longer waiting lists for tenants, and housing charities and social housing organisations have welcomed the decision to scrap the scheme.

The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations’ Andy Young said the Right-to-Buy policy had ‘no place in 21st century Scotland’.

“Right-to-buy has been beneficial to a relatively small number of individuals, but clearly a loss to the greater public good”, he said. “Around 500,000 social rented homes have been lost in the 35 years of this policy in Scotland, very often the better stock in the more popular areas.”

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Lararowicz: new homes must be energy efficient

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Mark Lazarowicz MP has criticised the Westminster government’s failure to make the energy efficiency of new homes a central plank of its Help to Buy scheme in order to boost jobs, cut energy bills and carbon emissions.

THE North & Leith MP was speaking at Treasury Questions in the House of Commons, and said afterwards: “Increasing the energy efficiency of our homes can help cut fuel bills, create new skilled jobs and meet our targets for reducing carbon emissions.

“For instance, surely the Government could have seen that a scheme aimed at first-time buyers should have prioritised energy efficiency so helping young couples with mortgages save money on fuel bills.

“Building all new homes to a high level of energy efficiency helps avoid the need for retrofits later on and Help to Buy could have been used to provide a strong lead by setting a benchmark for the industry.

“It’s an example of where regulation can create new skilled jobs and apprenticeships and boost small businesses but once again the Government has just sat on its hands and failed to act.”

Right to Buy no more

Notice period cut to two years

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Calls to reduce the timescale for abolishing Right to Buy social housing have been answered by Housing Minister Margaret Burgess during the Stage 1 debate on the Housing (Scotland) Bill. Mrs Burgess announced that the government will amend the notice period for Right to Buy from three to two years after the date the Bill receives Royal Assent.

The Bill, which was introduced to Parliament in November will enhance housing conditions, retain much needed social housing for people in Scotland and safeguard social and private tenants.

The Minister said: “I am grateful to the Infrastructure and Capital Investment (ICI) Committee for its endorsement of the principles in the Housing Bill and for acknowledging that these measures will improve housing in the social, private rented and owner-occupied sectors.

“Increasing the supply of social housing is essential and that is why we want to end the Right to Buy.

“I have now taken on board the ICI Committee’s concerns that the proposed three-year timescale to abolish Right to Buy is too long. Going forward we will reduce the period to two years which will give tenants time to consider their options and find financial advice if they want to exercise their right to buy their home.

“These measures will protect up to 15,500 social houses from sale over a ten-year period and safeguard social housing stock for future generations.

“With 185,000 people on waiting lists for council and housing association houses, we can no longer afford to see the social sector lose out on badly needed homes.”

Other measures in the Bill include:

* establishing a new housing tribunal to consider private rented housing cases.
* introducing regulation of letting agents.
* strengthening the licencing regime for mobile homes sites with permanent residents.
* giving local authorities new discretionary powers to tackle poor housing conditions in the private sector.

Mrs Burgess continued: “This Bill will help us to deliver better outcomes for communities, safeguard the interests of householders and strengthen the quality of Scotland’s housing.

“There is universal support for strengthening regulation of letting agents and for our moves to transfer private rented sector cases from the sheriff to a tribunal.

“Housing is and will remain a priority for this government and through the Housing (Scotland) Bill we will continue to support improvements across the private, private rented and social sectors.”

Door closed on right to buy

blockThe right of council tenants to buy their homes at heavily discounted prices is set to be abolished in Scotland. Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon confirmed the government’s decision to end the scheme on a visit to a housing association in Glasgow yesterday.

The ‘right to buy’ scheme was introduced by Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government in 1980 and proved hugely popular with council tenants – for many, their new mortgage was cheaper than rent and it gave tens of thousands a first foot on the housing ladder. The best quality houses in the most popular areas were quickly snapped up at bargain prices – across Scotland, 455,000 homes have been sold under the scheme.

However councils were not allowed to use receipts from council house sales to build new homes, and the inevitable consequence was a growing shortage of good quality social housing and ever-increasing waiting lists which successive governments failed to adequately address.

The Scottish Government says that thousands of people will now benefit from improved access to social housing thanks to the decision to end the Right to Buy scheme – up to 15,000 social houses will be protected from sale over the next decade, .  Earlier reforms to RtB and suspensions in pressured areas have already meant that the right to buy is already unavailable to many social housing tenants but the latest announcement safeguards social housing stock for future generations, helping to build more cohesive and sustainable communities.

Social housing tenant who still has the right to buy will have a period of three years to exercise it following royal assent of the Housing Bill, expected in Autumn 2014 and the Scottish Government will continue to assist people into home ownership through a range of shared equity schemes.

Making the announcement, Ms Sturgeon said: “It is absolutely vital that people can access social housing when they need it most. Social housing is under significant pressure and so too are the budgets that support it.

“The Scottish Government is doing everything possible to maximise our investment in housing and deliver on our target of 30,000 new, affordable homes over the lifetime of this Parliament. But, given the pressure on both the housing stock and budgets – and with 400,000 people on waiting lists for social housing – we can no longer afford to see badly needed homes lost to the social sector.

“That is why I am today announcing the final stage of the abolition of the Right to Buy – a decision that will safeguard Scotland’s social housing stock for the benefit of citizens today and for our future generations.

“Tenants who currently have a right to buy will have a period of three years from the date of royal assent of the Housing Bill in which they will be able to exercise that right – but after that date it will no longer be possible to buy social houses. This will mean that social houses will always be available for long term rent, helping to ease pressure on the social rented stock.

“More than 450,000 houses have already been sold through right to buy and although the policy has been restricted in recent years, its final abolition will safeguard an estimated 15,000 homes over the next decade.

“Notwithstanding our decision to end the right to buy, which has been fully consulted on, the Government remains committed to helping people buy their own homes and our shared equity schemes are helping – and will continue to help – thousands of people get a foot on the property ladder.”

Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland said: “We welcome the news that this outdated policy – which for a long time has had no place in Scotland’s housing landscape – is to be scrapped.

“Around half a million public sector homes have been sold off in Scotland since the policy was implemented. Meanwhile, 157,000 families and individuals are today stuck on council waiting lists for a home to call their own.

“Shelter Scotland has long-campaigned for the abolition of Right to Buy and praises the Scottish Government on their decision to protect existing and future council house stock in a bid to address Scotland’s chronic housing shortage.”

Andy Young, Scottish Federation of Housing Associations Policy and Membership Manager added: “We are delighted that the Scottish Government has decided to end all forms of the Right to Buy in Scotland. Right to Buy has had its day and has no place in 21st Century Scotland. The SFHA and its members have campaigned for this for years and we thank the Scottish Government for listening closely to the arguments for abolition which we put forward.”

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