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Fresh Thinking, New Ideas Housing Policy Discussion Paper
The Scottish Government launched a policy discussion paper on housing on 1st June 2010 and is inviting the public to comment on the issues outlined in it. The government’s intention is to conduct consultation events across Scotland this summer and produce a Policy Paper towards the end of the year.
The paper acknowledges the difficult financial situation Scotland faces and its impact on housing both new and existing. It acknowledges changing demographics and the increase in numbers of households as well as the increasing age of the population. The importance of technology in meeting people’s changing housing needs and the role of housing support in promoting independent living are touched on. An acknowledgement is made of the risk that preventative housing support services may be coming under increasing financial pressure – this is something which the HSEU highlighted in its research in 2009.
The paper also highlights the role of housing options advice at various stages of a person’s life could promote more personalised housing services.
The paper invites readers to answer the following questions (amongst others):
- To what extent should individuals be financially responsible for meeting their own support needs and housing adaptations as they grow older and to what extent should the state support them?
- How can we move to a 'housing options first' approach, across tenures, so that households can plan for the future and avoid housing crises and homelessness?
- How can stakeholders pool knowledge and resources to take forward a more personalised housing options approach?
- How could public services and Government funded bodies work better together to improve housing and related services to vulnerable groups?
- Should Government spend less on building and improving social houses and more on providing the underlying and supporting infrastructure?
- What technologies are available that could be exploited further to raise the performance and efficiency of housing and housing services?
To join in the discussion go to the government’s website.