New Petitions

PE1959 is on tackling Scotland’s affordable housing crisis. We have finally reached a petition whose number is the year in which I was born. That has been creeping up on me. The number must have passed the year in which you were born a long time ago, Fergus.

The petition, which was lodged by Amber Roberts, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to take action to improve the current housing crisis by merging housing associations and local council housing and by considering introducing a new right-to-buy scheme for council tenants. Amber Roberts suggests that merging housing associations with local council housing could help more council houses to become available and result in more than 76,000 council homes being built by 2034. She has also set out a proposal for a right-to-buy scheme that would allow council tenants who have lived in the property for 10 years or more the opportunity to buy their home.

In responding to the petition, the Scottish Government has stated that its

“approach to the planning and delivery of affordable housing, is focussed on providing the ‘right homes in the right place’.”

It has highlighted that

“Housing associations and councils have a long history of ... working in partnership in the delivery of affordable homes”

and has noted that

“Not all councils build new homes, six local authorities have previously transferred all of their housing stock to housing associations.”

Reference is made to the Scottish Government’s own target of delivering

“110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which at least 70% will be available for social rent”.

It has highlighted that that would

“exceed the number of homes for social rent suggested within the petition”

and that the target would be delivered “within a shorter timeframe”.

That is a lot of houses to be built in 10 years.

The Scottish Government has also stated that it has no plans to reintroduce the right-to-buy scheme, and it has provided details of the support that is available to assist affordable home ownership. That support includes the low-cost initiative for first-time buyers and the open market shared equity scheme.

Do members have any comments or suggestions for action?

It is difficult to know what meaningful steps we can take, given the Government’s position. I also do not think that we can keep the petition open until 2032 to see whether the 110,000 homes materialise. That is, in itself, a challenging issue. Given the definitive response from the Scottish Government, I am unclear as to what more we can do.

Are members content that we close the petition on that basis?

Members indicated agreement.

We thank Amber Roberts and regret that there seems to be nothing more of a practical nature that we can do.