Shelter submission on 2009-2010 Budget

• There is a woeful lack of information on the actual housing outputs which the
Budget is expected to lead to, ie the number of homes built or improved, and
grants provided.

• Before commenting directly on the 2009-10 budget the Committee might wish to
press the Government to give adequate details on the 2008-09 budget, which have
not yet been published.

• At the time of writing only £60 million of the ‘up to’ £100 million drawn forward from
2010-11 has been identified. The source of the remaining £40 million is still the
subject of discussion with CoSLA.

• The 2008-09 AHIP shows a considerable drop in both investment and output from
the equivalent programme in 2007-08. Bringing forward £30 million is welcome
but does not make up the difference.

• As a result of a further £70 million being brought forward, the 2009-10 AHIP totals
£634 million once investment in Edinburgh and Glasgow is added back in. This
compares favourably with recent years but even this – the best year of the three –
still falls significantly short of funding for the estimated 10,000 affordable rented
homes needed each year.

• A natural consequence of drawing investment forward is that the AHIP in year 3
will fall by £145 million or 23%; this is barely 21 months before the 2012
homelessness target will kick in fully.

• The Scottish Government has separately committed to expand funding on low-cost
home ownership schemes to the tune of £250 million over three years. These are
not fully detailed in the budget but cannot be achieved without cutting other
programmes.