housing

Charter that set the standards and outcomes that all social landlords should aim to achieve when performing their housing activities.

The Charter has seven sections covering: equalities; the customer/landlord relationship; housing quality and maintenance; neighbourhood and community; access to housing and support; getting good value from rents and service charges; and other customers.

The Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee agreed to conduct an inquiry into the progress towards the 2012 commitment in order that it could feed into the preparation for the legal requirement being placed on local authorities.

This approach allowed the Committee to engage positively with local authorities, housing associations, the voluntary sector and the Scottish Government to consider the achievement of the commitment and its impact on homeless people in Scotland.

Briefing that draws on evidence from research to show how potential policy decisions in the Budget would affect poor places and people in the UK.

It looks at six issues: raising the income tax threshold; tax credits, work incentives and poverty rates; the ‘mansion tax’ and housing; increasing housing supply; older people; and funding social care.

CIH Scotland and the SFHA commissioned the authors to write a short discussion paper that considers the scope and implications of devolving UK-reserved Housing Benefit (HB) to Scotland.

The first section outlines the policy context and the second section explores the practicalities, risks and challenges of devolving housing benefit under current constitutional arrangements (that is, with social security treated as a reserved function).

Briefing that presents new evidence on the changing demographics of people who rent privately, particularly families with children, and considers how they are faring in an under-pressure market in which they have little consumer power.

It also explores the wider social and economic impacts of the rapid growth in private renting.

Report that highlights how 40% of current levels of public expenditure could have been avoided had there been a greater focus on helping people avoid recourse to more expensive interventions.

Report on behalf of the Housing and Migration Network which is the first national report to explore the needs and experiences of new migrants living in the private rented sector, to examine practical solutions to problems and to propose policy changes.

Briefing that looks at steps taken to meet the supported housing needs of black and minority ethnic communities in the following five areas: mental health, young people experiencing homelessness, domestic violence, young parents and older people.