Housing Fits the ‘Spend to Save’ Agenda, SFHA Tells Parliament

It's time for affordable housing be recognised as part of the "spend to save" agenda when the Scottish Government is setting its budget priorities,

the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) said today (Wednesday 2nd November 2011), in its submission on the draft Scottish Budget.

SFHA's written evidence on the draft Scottish Budget 2012-13 (1) sets out in details how proper investment in housing and associated services would represent the sort of proactive approach to tackling social problems which Scotland must shift towards.

It expands on points SFHA made to the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee during oral evidence on 26th October, and is being sent to all MSPs today (2nd November).

Not only can housing associations and co-operatives work help prevent costly social problems, helping them to invest in new homes or improving existing ones provides an unrivalled boost to the economy.

The SFHA's evidence is in three parts:

• investing in new affordable housing;
• investing in the energy efficiency of existing housing;
• preventative spending to avert costly crisis interventions.

Dr Mary Taylor, CEO of the SFHA said:

"It's time affordable housing was recognised as being an integral part of an effective ‘spend to save' approach.

"Housing associations and co-operatives' work in adapting homes for special need, helping tenants with their finances, or tackling fuel poverty, all help stop difficult-to-deal-with problems from developing. Our budget submission to the Scottish Parliament sets out in detail how getting housing right makes gains in health, education, and social cohesion.

"And yet the affordable housing budget was cut by almost a third in 2011-12 and is set to be cut by a further third in 2012-13, unless changes are made to the draft Scottish Budget (2).

"We recognise that the Scottish Government is working with cuts to its own budget, but it still has options. For example, we urge the Scottish Government to use the £67m in extra funding coming to Scotland from the English Council Tax freeze to boost the supply of genuinely affordable social rented housing.

ends

For further information, contact Claire Munro on t: 0141 567 6224 m: 07771926778 or e: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Visit our website at www.sfha.co.uk

NOTES:
1) Scottish Draft Budget - Evidence from the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations
http://www.sfha.co.uk/component/option,com_docman/Itemid,37/gid,1617/task,doc_download/

2) Scottish Spending Review 2011 and Draft Budget 2012-13 http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/358356/0121130.pdf

3) The SFHA was established in 1975 and has around 170 members providing affordable housing and wider community services in Scotland, as well as a further 200 commercial members. The SFHA is owned by its membership and exists to support the work of housing associations and co-operatives in Scotland by providing services, advice and good practice guidance.

4) The SFHA is the voice of the principal builders and managers of new affordable housing for rent in Scotland. Housing Associations own and manage around 40% of the country's affordable rented housing stock, over a quarter of a million homes across Scotland.

5) Housing associations and co-operatives are not-for-profit bodies regulated by the Scottish Housing Regulator.