Campaigning and policy work
Shelter Scotland works across a range of homelessness and housing issues, campaigning for change and providing housing advice and advocacy services across Scotland.
Homelessness
Homelessness is more than just rough sleeping. At Shelter Scotland we don't help people by handing out blankets and soup. We campaign to prevent and alleviate homelessness. We work on many issues including looking at ways to prevent homelessness occurring in the first place and lobbying to end evictions.
We are happy to comment on the impact of homelessness, causes of homelessness, homelessness statistics, temporary accommodation (such as bed and breakfast accommodation and hostels), hidden homelessness (for example, people being forced to sleep on their friends' sofas) and rough sleeping.
Housing
Bad housing robs people of security, health and a fair chance in life. Scotland needs 10,000 affordable rented homes each year, yet only 5,394 are planned for 2009/10. This is at a time when the number of social homes in Scotland is at a 50 year low. Shelter Scotland continues to lobby for the Scottish Government to prioritise funding greater numbers of affordable rented homes.
We are happy to comment on issues surrounding poor housing conditions and housing management issues for social landlords (for example, evictions policies), and lack of affordable housing.
Scotland's groundbreaking homelessness commitment
Scotland has the most progressive homelessness legislation in Europe. Scottish politicians have promised that everyone should have the right to a home by 2012 (for more information, read our briefing document). However, at Shelter Scotland we want to see everyone have not only the right to a home but the keys to one as well, which is why we continue to push MPSs to back greater investment in affordable homes.
Affordable housing
Scotland needs 10,000 affordable homes a year to meet future and current demand. With nearly 200,000 households on waiting lists and over 40,000 households currently homeless it is vital the Scottish Government must prioritise funding more affordable rented homes.
Shelter Scotland continues to campaign for MSPs to push housing to the top of the political agenda.
Right to Buy
While there is no doubt Right to Buy has been a popular policy, it has esulted in the loss of almost half a million social homes over the past 25 years, contributing to Scottish social housing levels being at a historic low.
The Scottish Government has proposed to reform Right to Buy but Shelter Scotland wants to see their complicated proposals simplified and for the reform to go further by scrapping Right to Buy for all new tenancies, including people transferring from one home to another or who are succeeding to a tenancy.
Private rented sector
The Scottish Government is committed to raising standards in private rented housing. Regulation has included a 'Repairing Standards' landlords are required to meet, a landlord registration scheme administered by local authorities and commitment to introducing a tenancy deposit protection scheme. However, many tenants and landlords remain unaware of their rights and responsibilities, making it vital the Scottish Government focuses on publicising these.
A private rented sector Bill is expected in the Autumn of 2010, but further more fundamental reform of the sector is being considered beyond this by a Government working group.
We are happy to comment on tenants' rights, a tenancy deposit scheme for Scotland, landlord registration and the private rented sector as a whole.
Rural housing
A number of Shelter projects have a specifically rural remit. We have published several reports and given parliamentary evidence on the rural housing crisis.
Other areas of comment
Other areas we can look to provide comment on include: housing and homelessness legislation, housing support, housing advice, housing benefit reform, anti-social behaviour and housing, mortgage arrears and repossession, empty homes, homelessness referrals to housing associations (Section 5 referrals).
