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SNP election: what will Humza Yousaf mean for housing?
As Humza Yousaf takes over as Scotland’s first minister, what can the sector expect during his tenure? James Wilmore reports
Humza Yousaf has become Scotland’s first minister after winning the Scottish National Party (SNP) leadership contest to replace Nicola Sturgeon and being voted in by MSPs.
The 37 year-old, dubbed the “continuity candidate” due to his closeness to Ms Sturgeon, was sworn in on Wednesday as Scotland’s sixth first minister.
But what has Mr Yousaf, who is the first ethnic minority leader of a devolved government and the first Muslim to lead a major UK party, said on housing policy? What is his approach likely to be? And what does the sector want to see?
Tackling empty homes
During the leadership contest, Mr Yousaf made one headline-grabbing announcement on housing. He plans to give councils the ability to buy back empty properties, partly to help key workers in rural areas.
Under the plans, empty homes would be acquired, or long leased, by local authorities and made available for those in need. Mr Yousaf said £25m of the Scottish government’s existing affordable housing allocation would be used to pilot the scheme.
He also committed to increasing council tax on second homes in an effort to bring them back into full-time use.
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Affordable housing promise
Mr Yousaf has said he will “commit to building more affordable housing right across the country”, without disclosing a figure.
However, in an interview with the Glasgow Guardian, in which he made the above statement, he pointed to the SNP’s target of 110,000 new affordable homes by 2032.
The SNP has previously said the aim is for “at least” 70% of these to be made available for social housing.
Social housing commitment
Three sector bodies wrote to the leadership hopefuls during the campaign, urging them to “urgently prioritise and fully fund” delivery of social homes that they said are “desperately” needed.
The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA), Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland and Shelter Scotland said there was a “real risk” that social housing delivery targets would not be met.
The government has allocated £3.5bn this parliament for affordable housing delivery, but with inflation affecting the cost of housebuilding, the organisations said that “the national target is no longer on track”.
Sally Thomas, chief executive of SFHA tells Inside Housing: “We got a response [from Mr Yousaf] which does affirm his commitment to social housing and affordable housing generally.”
She adds: “I think he’s particular interested in how we can secure a larger, affordable housing proportion as part of the overall housing stock.”
Rent policy
Scottish housing associations were delivered a nasty shock last autumn when the government announced a rent freeze covering all sectors. The freeze was later lifted for social landlords after SFHA struck an agreement with ministers.
Since then, Scottish social landlords have revealed their rent increases for the new financial year.
Ms Thomas is confident that another intervention is not on the cards. “I can’t speak for Mr Yousaf, but the government has assured us that they won’t be revisiting a rent freeze or rent controls for social housing,” she says.
“He [Mr Yousaf] was part of the previous government and I believe he’ll have a full understanding of why it’s not appropriate to go back down that road.”
Net zero
The sector will be hoping for more help from Mr Yousaf to boost the energy efficiency of homes. In 2021, the government announced it will make £200m available over five years as part of the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund.
However, the sector is hoping for more action. Ms Thomas says: “The fund is mainly for a ‘test and trial’ approach to technology. But that relates to a small part of the problem.
“One of the things that’s absolutely crying out to be done is a stock assessment survey across the sector to identify the net zero baseline that we’re working to. We’ve been talking to the government about releasing some of the money in the net zero fund potentially to do that.”
But more money is needed, Ms Thomas adds.
“What we don’t have is a substantive and significant capital fund, on or annual basis or beyond, to be able to do at scale the work necessary to get properties to net zero,” she explains.
Personnel pointers
Mr Yousaf has made Shona Robison, former social justice, housing and local government secretary, his deputy first minister and finance secretary.
Her appointment has offered encouragement to some in the sector. “Hopefully, her recent experience will give housing a more prominent profile when it comes to budget discussions,” says Callum Chomczuk, national director at CIH Scotland.
However, question marks are hanging over who will take up the housing brief in the new Scottish cabinet.
Former education secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has been appointed as cabinet secretary for social justice, but housing is not in her title.
“It would be disappointing if it’s not in her brief, as we want to see housing recognised in the cabinet,” says Mr Chomczuk.
Ms Somerville would appear well qualified to take the housing brief, though, as in the early 2000s she had a three-year stint as a policy and public affairs officer at CIH Scotland.
