Manifesto for Homes FINAL
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This document is Shelter Scotland's "Manifesto for Homes 2016" which outlines their policy proposals and commitments to address Scotland's housing crisis. It proposes building at least 12,000 affordable homes per year, tackling homelessness, improving security for private renters, and putting housing at the center of efforts to reduce poverty and improve social justice. It notes that over 150,000 households are on waiting lists, 10,000 live in temporary housing, and nearly 5,000 children wake up homeless daily. The manifesto aims to put housing at the heart of politics and policies going forward.
Manifesto for Homes FINAL
- 2. Access to a safe secure and affordable place to call home is a fundamental human right and is critical to people’s health, prosperity and to the success of Scotland as a thriving and diverse country. Sadly, however, in Scotland today this is simply not a reality for far too many people. Over successive generations we have failed to get to grips with the issues at the heart of this problem, and Scotland is now in a major housing crisis. A housing crisis with a very human cost. There are currently over 150,000 households waiting for a home across the country and in excess of 30,000 households made a homeless application last year. Right now there are more than 10,000 households living in temporary accommodation and tomorrow morning nearly 5,000 children in Scotland will wake up homeless. The private rented sector in Scotland has doubled in the last ten years and now 85,000 families with children call this sector home. Spiralling monthly rents combined with sky high house prices, that continue to rise well above inflation, mean that for many the ambition of one day owning a home of their own is now beyond reach. Underpinning all of these issues, the ongoing cuts to our welfare system, and a challenging sanctions regime mean that the rights and support available for some of the most vulnerable people in our society are being eroded day by day. Scotland’s housing crisis #homesmanifesto
- 3. A good home is central to our wellbeing both as individuals and collectively as a nation. From improving our health outcomes to raising educational attainment, reducing reoffending rates to tackling inequality, improving social mobility and genuinely realising the advantages of spend to save initiatives – all of these things depend on whether or not people in Scotland have a decent home. The ambitions and commitments outlined in this Manifesto for Homes build on the recommendations from the landmark report from the Commission on Housing and Wellbeing in 2015 and are the policies that Shelter Scotland will be campaigning for all political parties to sign up to in the run up to and beyond the 2016 Holyrood Election. We hope that all candidates will commit to putting homes at the very heart of Scotland’s politics in the years ahead. Shelter Scotland The main thing was reassurance I wasn’t losing my home. Shelter Scotland service user
- 4. DELIVER A HOME FOR EVERYONE IN SCOTLAND Commitment 1 DELIVER A HOME FOR EVERYONE IN SCOTLAND #homesmanifesto
- 5. HOW Build at least 12,000 affordable rented homes each year for the lifetime of the parliament, with most of these being socially rented homes Raise the quality of Scotland’s housing stock with a new Common Housing Quality Standard for all homes Bring more empty homes back into use by introducing appropriate financial incentives to encourage empty homes work as well as a Compulsory Sale Order power for empty buildings WHY There are 27,000 long term empty homes in Scotland Research shows the need for 12,000 affordable homes to be built each year to tackle the homes crisis households are currently waiting for a home across Scotland 150,000
- 6. Commitment 2 TACKLE ROOT CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS & MEET THE NEEDS OF EVERY HOMELESS PERSON TACKLE ROOT CAUSES OF HOMELESSNESS & MEET THE NEEDS OF EVERY HOMELESS PERSON #homesmanifesto
- 7. HOW Protect and enhance funding available for services that prevent and tackle homelessness Produce a National Homelessness Strategy for Scotland that delivers better housing and support for the most vulnerable Improve access to good quality temporary accommodation across Scotland WHY households in temporary accommodation in Scotland, including 4,923 children 35,764 10,567 homeless applications in 2014/15 households are living in overcrowded conditions in Scotland 74,000
- 9. HOW Deliver stability and security for private renters through the new private tenancy in Scotland Focus on private landlord registration to ensure local authorities take targeted action against landlords who break the law Provide tenants with the support, advice and representation they need to challenge bad landlords WHY There are currently private rented households have children The number of households living in the private rented sector has in the last 10 years 330,000 1 in 4 more than doubled households living in privately rented homes across Scotland
- 10. Commitment 4 PUT HOMES AT THE HEART OF SOCIAL JUSTICE & TACKLING CHILD POVERTY PUT HOMES AT THE HEART OF SOCIAL JUSTICE & TACKLING CHILD POVERTY #homesmanifesto
- 11. HOW Put homes at the heart of Scotland’s new welfare system to ensure that it reduces poverty, promotes dignity and the human rights of all those that need it Ensure information and support is available to all tenants affected by welfare reforms and the roll out of Universal Credit Abolish the Bedroom Tax and commit to mitigating the impact of cuts to the housing safety net Improve public health by ensuring housing is at the heart of health and social care integration in Scotland WHY In 2013/14 after housing costs over people in Scotland are affected by the bedroom tax of the homeless population will suffer long term health difficulties, compared to 28% of the general population 1 million 71,000 41% people (20% of Scotland’s population) lived in absolute poverty
- 12. Facts about the housing crisis There are currently Scottish children spent households are living in overcrowded conditions in Scotland In 2014/15 over people contacted our helpline with concerns about their housing 150,000 845,000 1million 1 in 4 21,000 74,000 households on council waiting lists across Scotland households are living in fuel poverty in Scotland – 35% of all households days in temporary accommodation in 2015 people in Scotland are worried about paying for their home in 2016 PEOPLE HOMES Across all tenures, the current quality of Scotland’s homes is a major issue of concern More and more people are suffering from homelessness or bad housing #homesmanifesto
- 13. On average homeless children miss The average house price in Scotland increased by lower than the Scottish average Poor housing increases the risk of severe ill-health or disability by up to during childhood and early adulthood was spent on housing benefit in Scotland in 2014/15 including around £500m to private sector landlords 55 days 61% 10 years 400,000 25% £1.8bn of school a year. between 2004 – 2014 by 2037 Life expectancy for the 20% most deprived communities is almost The overall number of households in Scotland is projected to increase by almost WELLBEING SCOTLAND Scotland has an ageing population and we are not meeting current or future housing need The housing crisis is impacting on people’s health, wellbeing and life chances
- 14. Get involved www.shelterscotland.org/manifesto If you want to help tackle Scotland’s housing crisis, find out more and join our campaign at: Email: campaignsscotland@shelter.org.uk Phone: 0344 515 2456 Or follow us on Social Media: shelterscotland shelterscotland shelterscotland To donate £3 to our work, text SHELTER to 70213. Call our free, national helpline for housing advice: 0808 800 4444. #homesmanifesto
- 15. It’s over a year and a half since I’ve been in a home… I want somewhere I can call mine. Shelter Scotland service user It’s made me depressed not having a place to call my own, it affected college: I had low attendance as I was depressed so I left. Shelter Scotland service user