Report to the People
The Housing Bill
In Scotland we well know the problems which affect public housing. Too many people live in cold houses; damp houses; overcrowded houses or sometimes no house at all.
In Inverclyde, for example, we have, on the one hand, areas in which we can't meet demand, and on the other, areas we can walk through and see nothing but abandoned, empty housing. We have housing in need of repair and perfectly decent housing, the enjoyment of which is ruined by anti-social neighbours.
It is to tackle these issues that the Scottish Executive has brought forward the first Housing Bill in 13 years.
As a constituency MSP, I am aware of how important the housing issue is for many of my constituents. I suspect this must be true for most of my colleagues, as, when the general aims and principles of the Housing Bill came to be debated in Parliament last week, the debate had to be extended.
The bill itself is about providing a solid framework within which individuals, communities and organisations can act together to secure real improvements in housing. It is about good quality, affordable, rented accommodation. It is about coming down hard on anti-social neighbours.
The bill will also deliver a better deal to social tenants by giving them a comprehensive and consistent set of rights. It will tackle homelessness and strengthen homeless people's rights. Scottish Homes will be made into a new executive agency which will be more accountable to ministers and Parliament and the role of local authorities in addressing local housing needs will be enhanced. The system of home improvement grants for private owners will also be made fairer, so that the money goes to those who need it most.
It is obvious, though, that one housing bill alone - no matter how good - cannot tackle all housing problems. It has to work alongside the rough sleepers' initiative, the central heating initiative, the warm deal and the continuing work of the homelessness task force.
This was, of course, only the first stage of the Housing Bill, regarding its broad principles. And, while they were unanimously accepted without a vote, the real debate will be about the detail.
Despite the debate which will continue, all those with an interest in this subject will surely be pleased that the importance of decent housing is now firmly at the top of the political agenda.
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