Housing Policy Advisory Group30 September 2013

Strategic Priorities

• Budget 2013 – 2016

• National Performance Framework

• Ministerial priorities

• Priorities - discussion

Housing and Regeneration

Context

Cut in conventional capital budget from Westminster - 26.6% in real terms over 2010-11 to 2015-16

Scottish Ministers’ spending decisions• Subsidy for new build – up by £16,000 from July 2013

• Affordable housing – investment increased - was £970m for 3 years to 2014-15 - in itself an increase from the £859m set out in February - now additional £390m allocated for 2015-16 – more than £1.35 billion over 4 years

Welfare Reform Mitigation

Scottish Ministers’ spending decisions

• Maintain £45.2m budget for welfare mitigation in 2014-15 and 2015-16

• Add £20m in 2013-14 for Local Authority Discretionary Housing Payments

National Performance Framework

Ministerial priorities

• Homes fit for the 21st CenturyStrategy and Action Plan –

• Building a sustainable and affordable supply of housing • Preventing homelessness• Tackling fuel poverty• Improving the quality of Scotland’s towns and cities

Ministerial priorities

Mitigating the impact of Welfare Reforms

• Funding to mitigate impacts of under occupancy charge

• Investing in money and debt advice services

• UK Government aims to complete the roll out of Universal credit (and direct payments to claimants) by end of 2017

Discussion

• Are these the right strategic priorities?

 • What are the barriers we all need to address?

• What are the likely main impacts on the housing sector - and what can we do to help mitigate the worst of those?

• What are the opportunities for Scotland in the next year?

• What innovative approaches are out there that we can learn from?