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Key grant funding for Scottish social landlords not yet allocated
Two key Scottish government funding pots have not yet been allocated to social landlords, Inside Housing can reveal.
Councils are still waiting to hear how much they will be given as part of £80m set aside over this year and next to buy empty homes to turn into social housing.
The cash was announced in April by Humza Yousaf when he was first minister of Scotland, in one of his last acts in post, but remains undistributed over four months later.
In addition, this year’s funding to provide aids and adaptations for disabled residents has also not yet been allocated. The funding is normally assigned to social landlords by the summer.
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Inside Housing understands that the distribution formula for allocating the £40m acquisitions funding for 2024-25 has been agreed with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, and councils will be notified of the allocation for their area in due course.
It is also understood that the allocation process for the 2024-25 registered social landlords adaptations programme is ongoing, and the Scottish government will contact landlords once it has concluded.
Social landlords have been able to secure grant funding for major adaptations to their homes since 2001. Eligible works include widening doors and fitting ramps for wheelchair access, replacing a bath with a shower, and fitting lower work surfaces to make a kitchen easier to use.
Paul McLennan, the Scottish housing minister, said: “Since 2007, we have supported the delivery of more than 130,000 affordable homes, with more than 93,000 of those being for social rent. That is 40% more affordable homes delivered per head of population than in England and 70% more than in Wales.
“We will continue to build on that record with almost £600m of investment in the Affordable Housing Supply Programme this year and we remain focused on delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.
“We will do everything we can within our devolved powers to continue to improve the supply of social and affordable housing, but truly tackling the housing emergency will rely on a joint approach between UK, Scottish and local government, and housing providers.”
Sally Thomas, chief executive of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, said: “Our members need certainty so they can deliver for their tenants. Delays in allocating funds have real consequences.
“Adaptations such as grab rails and wet rooms support tenants to live well in their homes, help keep people out of hospital and enable quicker and more efficient discharges from hospital: saving significant spending to the health service.
“The Scottish government’s delay in allocating funds to housing associations for aids and adaptations is affecting all of this and causing profound uncertainty for social tenants.
“The Scottish government must urgently release this funding to Scotland’s housing associations and co-operatives so they can meet the needs of their tenants and take pressure off the health system.”
Scottish ministers are expected to announce large cuts to public services in the Programme for Government, published this week.
Newspaper reports over the weekend suggested the cuts could be as large as £600m, while cuts to universal winter fuel payments for pensioners and scrapping free bus travel for asylum seekers have already been confirmed.
It is currently unclear whether the social housebuilding budget, which was already cut by 26% for 2024-25, will be affected directly.
Shona Robison, the Scottish finance secretary, claimed on Tuesday “it is clear that we are entering a whole new era of austerity” under the new Labour government.
