Tag: housing

Leave a comment

How can there be an affordable housing ‘crisis’ in Scotland when we beat the building target that Labour just gave up on in England?

johnrobertson834

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON As the Herald, today, frontpages the Scottish Conservatives, soon to face a near-extinction event and become only the 5th party in Scotland, to ‘blast’ the SNP Government and suggest once more an affordable homes crisis, there’s no space, it seems for these: For 2025, the SNP Government has funded 5 313 new affordable home starts to a level down from a peak of 11 158 in 2021 but above the level before 2014 and still almost twice that … Continue reading How can there be an affordable housing ‘crisis’ in Scotland when we beat the building target that Labour just gave up on in England?

9 Comments

How can there be an affordable housing ‘crisis’ in Scotland when we beat the building target and Labour just give up in England?

johnrobertson834

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON Under a tasteless example of a poverty porn photograph of a street beggar, the Guardian editorial has: Rough sleeping in Scotland has risen by 106% over the past three years. Record numbers of children are now living in temporary accommodation, official figures released this month show. In Glasgow, the city council leader warned last year that the authority had run out of temporary housing. This looks like a system approaching crisis point. The paradox is that Scotland has some of the … Continue reading How can there be an affordable housing ‘crisis’ in Scotland when we beat the building target and Labour just give up in England?

2 Comments

Another sign that the Western Isles needs modern coherent party-based governance? Righteousness exalteth a nation not working out?

johnrobertson834

in their council tax bills of 9.5%. That means an annual bill for an average home going up to £1 519. The local council says it’s got a budget gap of £4.5 million and the council tax increase would bring in another £1.5 million. Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above. ‘Local’ council? Tell us more. Like this: and this: How competent have these ‘Independent’ councillors been? Financial and Investment Losses: In 1991, it lost £35 million in the Bank of Credit and Commerce International collapse, leading to a sharp council tax increase and the convener’s resignation. An independent … Continue reading Another sign that the Western Isles needs modern coherent party-based governance? Righteousness exalteth a nation not working out?

5 Comments

Though domestic abuse far less common, Scottish Government again first in UK to legislate to force abusers to leave social housing

johnrobertson834

BBC Scotland has a tasteless, exploitative image, we won’t be using here. From BBC Scotland News today: Social landlords are set to be given powers to remove domestic abusers from tenancy agreements, making it easier for some abuse survivors to stay in their homes. Regulations laid before the Scottish Parliament will bring into force provisions on tenancies that were part of a domestic abuse law passed nearly five years ago. If backed by MSPs, social landlords could apply to the courts to remove people believed to be abusive from tenancy agreements, in effect forcing them to move out. The new … Continue reading Though domestic abuse far less common, Scottish Government again first in UK to legislate to force abusers to leave social housing

1 Comment

Private rents 40% higher in England and significantly stronger safety nets through generous Discretionary Housing Payment funding in Scotland

johnrobertson834

With another of their sickly, tasteless images today, the Herald has: Scotland’s housing costs safety net is failing with tens of thousands of families in need locked out of homes as support fails to cover soaring private rents, ministers have been warned. Explosive [sic] new analysis which lays bare the reality for those most in need, shows that just eight per cent of private rental homes are affordable for those relying on state support, deepening a national housing emergency declared by Holyrood nearly two years ago. What’s missing? Cost of rent? Source – https://www.ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/bulletins/privaterentandhousepricesuk/december2025 Support for Housing? In summary, while the baseline … Continue reading Private rents 40% higher in England and significantly stronger safety nets through generous Discretionary Housing Payment funding in Scotland

1 Comment

There have now been 5 tower block fires in Scotland since 2000 and none have gone up like Grenfell – here’s why, for the 5th time

johnrobertson834

Please Support Talking-up Scotland at:https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-talking-up-scotlandClick on the above.Or direct bank transfer at Sort Code 08-91-04 Account – 12266421 Name – JOHN ROBERTSON Notice anything about that tower block fire? No towering inferno, again From BBC Glasgow & West yesterday: A 19-year-old man has been arrested in connection with a fire in a flat at a tower block in Coatbridge. Two people were treated by ambulance crews following the blaze at Calder Court in Whifflet which was reported at about 06:45. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service said crews in 11 fire engines and one height vehicle were working to extinguish … Continue reading There have now been 5 tower block fires in Scotland since 2000 and none have gone up like Grenfell – here’s why, for the 5th time

2 Comments

13 000 privately owned empty homes brought back into use by Scottish Government portal

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA From Finding new owners for empty homes published yesterday: A new online portal has been launched to bring empty homeowners together with prospective buyers or developers with the aim of facilitating more properties to be used as homes again.  Covering the whole of Scotland, this builds on the success of local pilots, referred to as “matchmaker schemes”, which allow owners of empty homes to upload details of their properties to a website through which anyone, such as first time buyers, families, developers or local authorities, can make purchasing enquiries.    The portal is hosted by the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership and has been developed as part of a £2 million investment this year to recruit additional empty homes officers and fund initiatives that will accelerate the pace and … Continue reading 13 000 privately owned empty homes brought back into use by Scottish Government portal

3 Comments

Scottish Government’s one-year 26% increase in funding for affordable (70% social) housing is not dramatic enough to mention it seems

johnrobertson834

political parties to commit to urgent housing justice ahead of next years Holyrood election. A joint manifesto from the Everyone Home group will be launched at Scotland’s Annual Homelessness conference, which begins in Pert today…….calling for a dramatic increase in social housing. Professor John Robertson OBA Not mentioned, in the above BBC Scotland broadcast today: The Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) budget will increase by 26% in real terms to £768 million in 2025-26. This will support the delivery of at least 8,000 new affordable homes including for social rent, mid-market rent and low-cost home ownership. nor This will support … Continue reading Scottish Government’s one-year 26% increase in funding for affordable (70% social) housing is not dramatic enough to mention it seems

15 Comments

Scotland builds far more affordable housing than England and far far more than Labour ever did but Shelter Scotland is back to suggest Scottish Government failure

johnrobertson834

Professor John Robertson OBA How do Scotland and England compare in terms of affordable housing? Scotland generally provides more affordable housing per capita than England, particularly in terms of social housing and overall supply relative to population. Here’s a concise comparison based on available data: Supply of Affordable Housing: Scotland has consistently outperformed England in delivering affordable homes per head of population. Between 2007-08 and 2022-23, Scotland delivered an average of 14.2 affordable homes per 10,000 people annually, compared to 9.8 in England. In 2022-23, Scotland completed 10,458 affordable homes (19.1 per 10,000 people), while England’s rate was 11.3 per 10,000. https://www.gov.scot/publications/quarterly-housing-statistics-march-2024/pages/housing-supply-including-affordable-across-the-uk/ Social … Continue reading Scotland builds far more affordable housing than England and far far more than Labour ever did but Shelter Scotland is back to suggest Scottish Government failure

6 Comments

Contrary to the Herald scare and tasteless images Scotland provides far more accommodation for the homeless than Welsh Labour or Birmingham City Labour and 50 times more than Scottish Labour ever did

johnrobertson834

Support Talking-up Scotland’s work to counter the lies and get you the facts, daily, at: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/checkout/help-talking-up-scotland-tell-truth-about-scotland/payment/nBQxjVzq/details Professor John Robertson OBA The Herald has an exploitative image of someone on the streets for their story today. This does not represent the vast majority of the ‘homeless’ who are in temporary accommodation. Martin Williams in the Herald this morning has: Scotland’s housing emergency: Why can’t ministers fix it? Scotland has lost nearly 90,000 private rental homes since before the pandemic, deepening a housing emergency that sees more than 40,000 homelessness applications every year. New figures show landlords are quitting the market at a rate … Continue reading Contrary to the Herald scare and tasteless images Scotland provides far more accommodation for the homeless than Welsh Labour or Birmingham City Labour and 50 times more than Scottish Labour ever did