Social Rented Sector (Affordability)

– in the Scottish Parliament at on 29 September 2022.

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Photo of Bob Doris Bob Doris Scottish National Party

4. To ask the Scottish Government how it will work in partnership with landlords in the social rented sector to keep rents as affordable as possible for tenants. (S6O-01407)

Photo of Patrick Harvie Patrick Harvie Green

We are engaging actively with landlords in the social rented sector as we develop our temporary emergency measures, as well as the safeguards that will come alongside them. We continue to seek close partnership working with them to determine the best way forward from 1 April 2023.

To support that important work, officials convened the first meeting of a short-life task and finish working group earlier this week, bringing together leaders from across the sector. The group will help to support consideration of the decisions that we and social landlords will take on rent affordability and related matters next year.

Photo of Bob Doris Bob Doris Scottish National Party

I have met local housing associations in my constituency that have raised concerns over potential unintended consequences for the sector of the rent freeze from April 2023. They say that there will be an impact on their ability to continue to invest in their core stock to deliver net zero, meet pay demands and be able to borrow, and service borrowing already taken out, to build the new homes that we all want to see. The measure also potentially undermines the statutory consultation processes for setting rents that social landlords are required to complete. What is the minister’s view of those concerns, and does he agree that dialogue and partnership with the sector would be the best way forward?

Photo of Patrick Harvie Patrick Harvie Green

I agree that dialogue and partnership are necessary. Both I and the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government have had repeated conversations with the social rented sector and we absolutely understand the multiple pressures that Bob Doris has rightly highlighted. I can assure him and the sector that the Government is committed to continuing to work with social landlords on the development of our emergency measures and their interaction with our ambitious housing programme. I stress that no decision has been taken about the use of emergency measures after the initial period that runs to 31 March and that any such decision will be informed both by the cost of living situation as it develops and by our on-going active engagement with the sector, which is already under way.

Photo of Willie Rennie Willie Rennie Liberal Democrat

I agree with Bob Doris and the concerns that he has raised. I understand that this is a very difficult area, but we have very long waiting lists for people who are desperate for social housing. Does the minister fully understand the consequence that the Kingdom Housing Association raised with me just this week, which is that the house building programme will potentially be impacted by the change? How is he going to address that?

Photo of Patrick Harvie Patrick Harvie Green

Obviously, some of the issues will be debated in more detail next week once the emergency legislation is introduced. I hope that not only Mr Rennie but other members and the social housing sector will recognise that we have taken an approach that balances all those factors. The Scottish Government is fully committed to working with the social housing sector, both on housing supply and on the important transition to net zero, as well as other areas where its investment is necessary. The context in the social rented sector and that in the private rented sector are different, and that will be reflected in the way in which we engage with those sectors and make future decisions.