Briefing for Stage 3 of the Scottish Budget
By: Shelter Scotland Published: February 2010
A briefing for MSPs and others who will be involved in the Stage 3 debate on the Scottish Budget.
- Briefing on Stage 3 of the Scottish Budget (PDF 62.6 KB)
Summary
The key points in this briefing are:
- As things stand, housing investment has taken the biggest hit in this year's budget round, with the Affordable Housing Investment Programme (AHIP) falling by £204 million from this year to next.
- Housing investment is uniquely well-placed to help Scotland's economy accelerate out of a very fragile recovery. Of all capital programmes, housing investment translates most swiftly into activity and jobs on the ground.
- Investment in new affordable homes is desperately needed to meet Scotland's internationally-acclaimed commitment to house all homeless people by 2012, to get families out of expensive temporary accommodation and to slash massive waiting lists.
- We recognise that the Budget faces a series of constraints but also argue that there is scope to switch spending even at this late stage.
