Radical right-to-buy reform hailed by homeless charity

Published on Tuesday 28 April 2009 10:33

GOVERNMENT plans to scrap the right to buy for new-build affordable housing in Scotland have been welcomed by homeless charity Shelter Scotland.

Tenants moving into newly-built council or housing association homes would no longer be entitled to buy them under Scottish Government plans published in a draft bill.

The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) also welcomed the proposals announced yesterday.

Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, said that radical reform of the right to buy was the right thing to do.

He added: "We commend the inclusion of radical reform to right to buy in the proposed draft housing bill and hope that it will be the death knell of this outdated policy.

"Since the policy started more than 25 years ago, nearly half a million public sector homes have been sold off in Scotland, while only around 42,000 council homes have been built over the same period."

Mr Brown added: "Selling off council stock, while starving local authorities of cash to replace them, has been a contributing factor in the current housing crisis that sees hundreds of thousands of people either on waiting lists or in temporary housing."

Jacqui Watt, chief executive of the SFHA, said: "In these difficult economic times, a plentiful supply of well-managed and affordable rented stock is more important than ever."