Stevenson Welcomes Proposed Right To Buy Reforms

Banff & Buchan MSP Stewart Stevenson has welcomed Scottish Government proposals to radically reform existing Right to Buy legislation, in order to tackle chronic social housing shortages across Scotland. By ending the Right to Buy on new build council houses, it is estimated that between 10,000 and 18,000 homes that would otherwise be sold between 2012 and 2022 can be kept in council ownership.

The consultation also seeks views on other possible Right to Buy reforms, including:

• ending the Right to Buy for new tenants in all social housing property
  
• devolving and extending the pressured-area designation process, which can suspend Right to Buy in certain areas
  
• revising guidance to encourage landlords to give ex-service personnel the opportunity to count the time they spend in armed forces tenancies towards their Right to Buy qualifying period

Commenting, Mr Stevenson said:

“After many years of failure by Labour and the Conservatives to address severe problems in social housing availability, I am delighted that the SNP Government is tackling the issue head on.

“In the four years before the SNP entered Government there were just 6 council houses built across Scotland, a totally inadequate response to the problems faced by many people in Banff & Buchan and across Scotland. That is why I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government has recently committed £50 million to kick-start a new generation of council house building to begin addressing this issue.

“Yet just as important as new money being committed is the right legislation to support the building of new homes. It is important that new public sector housing can be built without the fear that it will immediately be sold and thereby lost to future tenants. These proposals will address that and are vital in encouraging councils to begin building homes again.”