Industry bodies urge government action as housing emergency grips Scotland

Industry bodies urge government action as housing emergency grips Scotland

0:02 AM, 8th March 2024, About 2 months ago 5

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An industry body claims that Scotland has moved past a housing crisis and is in the midst of a housing emergency.

The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) in Scotland declared a housing emergency at the Scotland Housing Festival this week.

Last year, housing emergencies were declared in Edinburgh, Argyll and Bute and Glasgow. With mounting concerns over housing, a student body is now calling on the Scottish government to do more to help protect student renters.

Scottish government takes its head out of the sand

The National Union of Students in Scotland (NUS) says the government must “take its head out of the sand” and bring rents down.

According to a NUS Study, 12% of students in Scotland have experienced homelessness during their studies.

NUS Scotland President Ellie Gomersall said: “The housing emergency has been plain to see for students for years, but as three councils last year declared housing emergencies and the industry increasingly sees the scale of the problem, it’s essential that the Scottish government takes its head out of the sand, declares a national housing emergency, and delivers urgent and radical action through the Housing Bill.

“Renters are experiencing the sharp end of this crisis, especially student renters, and they must be the government’s first concern.”

Bring rates down to an affordable level

Ms Gomersall is calling for rent controls to be in place after the emergency rent cap ends.

She said: “As the emergency rent cap and eviction ban comes to an end, the Scottish government must act quickly to extend real renter protections beyond March until they can introduce their Housing Bill.

“To meet the scale of the challenge, the Housing Bill must not simply slow rent rises but bring rates down to an affordable level – and it must be free from loopholes which disadvantage students and apply equally to purpose-built student accommodation.”

According to NUS research, student rents on average increased at three times the rate of student support between 2021 and 2023.


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Comments

Paul Essex

12:16 PM, 8th March 2024, About 2 months ago

Anyone making bets on SNP reneging on the end of restrictions promise?

Grumpy Doug

13:01 PM, 8th March 2024, About 2 months ago

Ellie Gomersall - sorry, you've spent the last few years indulging in landlord bashing, demanding rent controls etc ... you're absolutely no different to all the anti landlord fanatics in the Green Party and SNP. What did you think would happen? Have you ever heard of supply and demand? Your inanities are plastered all over the internet for us all to judge - you reap what you sow. End of.

GlanACC

21:31 PM, 8th March 2024, About 2 months ago

Let the universities build the accommodation. Derby Uni many years ago canvassed landlords and investors to provide property for the students, followed by a surge of properties availble. Then, the uni did the dirty and built a lot of accommodation leaving many landlords in the lurch.

Grumpy Doug

22:46 PM, 8th March 2024, About 2 months ago

Reply to the comment left by GlanACC at 08/03/2024 - 21:31
I'm in Bmth and am student only. Interesting point re Derby since the PBSA here is springing up at a rate of knots. It's also very very expensive - my tenants, who will move into my places in year 2 or 3, will often be saving £200+ over their PBSA rooms. Ironically they've pushed the "market rents" up due to their extraordinary costs so I really shouldn't be complaining ...

Cider Drinker

8:39 AM, 10th March 2024, About 2 months ago

The government action that will work is…

1. Control immigration. We don’t have sufficient houses to house the world.

2. Build more houses to accommodate the population.

Anything else is tinkering and will not solve the problem. If anything, it will make it worse.

I have a couple of cheaper houses that are let at low, affordable rents (similar to social housing in the area but with much greater running costs for me). Maybe I could evict the tenants, demolish the properties and build a garden of remembrance for the PRS. 😉

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