Shelter Scotland response to LG&C Committee call for evidence on housing adaptations

Shelter Scotland welcomes the opportunity to respond to the Local Government and Communities committee’s call for evidence on housing adaptations. This response sets out Shelter Scotland's views on the right to adequate housing, and our clients' experiences finding housing that meets their needs.

The supply of adapted and adaptable housing in Scotland is currently insufficient and should be increased across all tenures.

Scotland is in a housing crisis with insufficient housing across all tenures but particularly in the supply of affordable and socially rented homes. This puts pressure on all parts of the housing system, especially high-need groups, including those who are homeless and those who have specific accessibility requirements due to a disability.

Shelter Scotland works frequently with people who are stuck in housing that does not meet their needs, often rendering them house-bound and cut off from social networks, or forced to make significant and inappropriate changes to their lives, including sleeping on sofas, washing at a sink or being carried up multiple flights of stairs.

The right to adequate housing is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but access to a safe, secure, affordable home is currently denied to those for whom suitable accommodation is not available. The Scottish Government and all other duty bearers in Scotland should ensure that there is a supply of adequate housing which meets everyone’s needs.