Housing

[superfurryhibby]

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Another view on Austin’s housing issues
https://www.texastribune.org/2023/09...bility-zoning/

Interesting article, presenting different views and perspectives on the impact of the housing crisis, gentrification and planning restrictions.

Not sure how much of it relates to Scotland, where we have a very different approach to planning and in Edinburgh in particular where prices are influenced by other factors too, like the huge market for student accommodation and the impact of short term, tourist lets.

[Ozyhibby]

https://news.stv.tv/west-central/hou...rent-increases

Unconcerned by the evidence it forced rents up, they are back for more. I don’t think what’s good for tenants is actually what matters to them.
Just build more bloody houses you idiots.


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[Stairway 2 7]

Housing emergency, homelessness and house prices rising, no new affordable homes being built in Edinburgh in the next year..

https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news...paign=sharebar


Edinburgh Council says it does not expect to green light any new affordable homes for at least the next year, after £200m was slashed from the Scottish Government’s housing budget.

The cut will leave the capital £11m worse off – with anticipated central grant funding for affordable housebuilding reduced by nearly a quarter

[Ozyhibby]

SG to declare national housing emergency today. All very good but it needs to be accompanied by an actual plan to build more houses. And that means serious planning reform.


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[Andy Bee]

Average rent also up 8.8% in the year to £1223 per month, London at £2121 and Edinburgh at £1259. Wow

[Andy Bee]

Someone seems to have the completely opposite problem.

https://twitter.com/visegrad24/statu...00146952782056

[Stairway 2 7]

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Someone seems to have the completely opposite problem.

https://twitter.com/visegrad24/statu...00146952782056

Too many homes so house prices fall. They have a demographic nightmare, the population halving to 750 million by 2100. Cities of 10 million going down to 5 with half of homes lying empty is mad

[marinello59]

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SG to declare national housing emergency today. All very good but it needs to be accompanied by an actual plan to build more houses. And that means serious planning reform.


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They called it six months after refusing to do so, after cutting nearly £200 from the affordable housing budget and only when they realised they may lose a vote in Holyrood as Labour pushed for it. That doesn’t look like the actions of a Government acting with genuine urgency. No wonder people are so cynical about the priorities of politicians.

[Ozyhibby]

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They called it six months after refusing to do so, after cutting nearly £200 from the affordable housing budget and only when they realised they may lose a vote in Holyrood as Labour pushed for it. That doesn’t look like the actions of a Government acting with genuine urgency. No wonder people are so cynical about the priorities of politicians.

The capital budget at Westminster was cut and that forced the same levels of cuts on the SG. It’s a direct consequence. If the SG were to mitigate this then they would either need to put up taxes or cut from education or health. At some point, you just can’t mitigate every single cut imposed on us.


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[Stairway 2 7]

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The capital budget at Westminster was cut and that forced the same levels of cuts on the SG. It’s a direct consequence. If the SG were to mitigate this then they would either need to put up taxes or cut from education or health. At some point, you just can’t mitigate every single cut imposed on us.


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We get 30% more than England to spend surely we cab find the money if its an emergency, that is what creating a budget is.

Calling a housing emergency is just words if it isn't followed with action. SNP have previously called a climate emergency then cut climate targets, called a drug deaths emergency then had the highest drug deaths in Europe still 3 years later. I don't think Labour will do anything in any meaningful way on housing either in fact they are talking about introducing caps so expect rents to rocket in England like it did here

[marinello59]

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The capital budget at Westminster was cut and that forced the same levels of cuts on the SG. It’s a direct consequence. If the SG were to mitigate this then they would either need to put up taxes or cut from education or health. At some point, you just can’t mitigate every single cut imposed on us.


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Yet Yousaf found another £80 million the day it became obvious that his job was under threat? Again, no wonder people are cynical about our politicians.

[Stairway 2 7]

Good article. It's crazy we don't have a massive public house building program during a housing emergency

110,000 families in Scotland on a waiting list for a social rented house. Scot gov promise 77,000 new social rental houses in Scotland… by 2032.

https://commonweal.scot/scotlands-ho...olicy-is-nuts/

Scotland’s housing policy is nuts

Robin McAlpine

[GlesgaeHibby]

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The capital budget at Westminster was cut and that forced the same levels of cuts on the SG. It’s a direct consequence. If the SG were to mitigate this then they would either need to put up taxes or cut from education or health. At some point, you just can’t mitigate every single cut imposed on us.


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The SG's capital budget was cut by 7.1% in real terms, yet the housing budget was cut by 27% in real terms. It was a political choice by the SNP to cut the housing budget so significantly.

https://digitalpublications.parliame...926ad7f0c.dita

[Ozyhibby]

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Good article. It's crazy we don't have a massive public house building program during a housing emergency

110,000 families in Scotland on a waiting list for a social rented house. Scot gov promise 77,000 new social rental houses in Scotland… by 2032.

https://commonweal.scot/scotlands-ho...olicy-is-nuts/

Scotland’s housing policy is nuts

Robin McAlpine

Good article mostly. The bit about borrowing to invest in housing is just common sense. What I’m not sure about is if the SG is allowed to do this?


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[Andy Bee]

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Good article mostly. The bit about borrowing to invest in housing is just common sense. What I’m not sure about is if the SG is allowed to do this?


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I don't think the SG could borrow the amounts needed here but can't the local councils do it?

[Ozyhibby]

https://x.com/jburnmurdoch/status/17...dxJXScFNwz8V4A

I’m a bit of a broken record on this but it does now appear that the problems are starting to be noticed by the media and politicians. We are still some way from the politicians offering proper solutions but it’s a start.


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[Stairway 2 7]

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https://x.com/jburnmurdoch/status/17...dxJXScFNwz8V4A

I’m a bit of a broken record on this but it does now appear that the problems are starting to be noticed by the media and politicians. We are still some way from the politicians offering proper solutions but it’s a start.


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That's horrifying. Uk the home of homelessness since 2010, tories should put that on the side of a bus

[danhibees1875]

I used to (co)rent a flat in bruntsfield when I was a student - £1,300 for a 4 bed. £325 each. (2011)

Inflationary increase would make it £1,850. It's back on the marke for £3,200 - £800 a head.

I left a wall clock there accidentally and it's still there in the photos so it's not had a drastic makeover in that time.

[Ozyhibby]

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I used to (co)rent a flat in bruntsfield when I was a student - £1,300 for a 4 bed. £325 each. (2011)

Inflationary increase would make it £1,850. It's back on the marke for £3,200 - £800 a head.

I left a wall clock there accidentally and it's still there in the photos so it's not had a drastic makeover in that time.

The rent cap has rocketed rent over the last year. The reality is there is a massive shortage of supply. UK govt tax policy not helping either. There are a lack of new landlords willing to buy properties off plan which is curtailing new developments.
Housing policy in this country is designed to create a shortage.


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[Ozyhibby]

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/c...b2c531baf5b2bb
More on the harm caused to renters from the rent cap. A disastrous policy.


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[superfurryhibby]

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https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/c...b2c531baf5b2bb
More on the harm caused to renters from the rent cap. A disastrous policy.


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"Paul McLennan, the housing minister, said: “These statistics for Scotland are based predominantly on newly advertised rents and do not take into account in-tenancy rent increases, which were initially frozen and then kept at 3 per cent in most cases while our emergency legislation was in place.

“They do not represent the whole private rented sector in Scotland, so are not suitable for making like-for-like comparisons with other parts of the UK.”


Importantly this data is based on advertised rents or new market rents, which
only cover about 35% of the private renters population (Scottish Household
survey 2022, 2019). A more accurate understand of rent increases throughout
both new and existing properties would take into account new market rent
increase (+14.3%) as well as the rent cap (3%) and find an average increase of
7.6% increase

● According to the Office of National Statistics, in the last 12 months to
December 2023, average rents increased by 8.8% in England, 9% in Wales and
10.9% in Scotland. Again, only new market rents were considered in Scotland
when both new market rents and existing rents were measured elsewhere.
This leads to a picture of over inflated rents in Scotland
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/liv...pdf?1715964750

[Ozyhibby]

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"Paul McLennan, the housing minister, said: “These statistics for Scotland are based predominantly on newly advertised rents and do not take into account in-tenancy rent increases, which were initially frozen and then kept at 3 per cent in most cases while our emergency legislation was in place.

“They do not represent the whole private rented sector in Scotland, so are not suitable for making like-for-like comparisons with other parts of the UK.”


Importantly this data is based on advertised rents or new market rents, which
only cover about 35% of the private renters population (Scottish Household
survey 2022, 2019). A more accurate understand of rent increases throughout
both new and existing properties would take into account new market rent
increase (+14.3%) as well as the rent cap (3%) and find an average increase of
7.6% increase

● According to the Office of National Statistics, in the last 12 months to
December 2023, average rents increased by 8.8% in England, 9% in Wales and
10.9% in Scotland. Again, only new market rents were considered in Scotland
when both new market rents and existing rents were measured elsewhere.
This leads to a picture of over inflated rents in Scotland
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/liv...pdf?1715964750

This is always a problem with rent caps though and the longer they last, the worse the problem gets. They protect older existing Scottish tenants at the expense of younger Scot’s and immigrants to Scotland. How is that fair?
Price fixing never works and always leads to the collapse of supply, whether it’s houses, tractors, pints of milk or carrots. It doesn’t matter the product, once the price you can charge drops below the price of producing then people naturally stop supplying.
That’s why house building projects are currently being cancelled or put on hold in Scotland.
This thread has been running a long time and in all that time, with many requests made, nobody has posted an example of a successful rent cap policy from anywhere in the world? Wonder why that is?


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[Andy Bee]

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The rent cap has rocketed rent over the last year. The reality is there is a massive shortage of supply. UK govt tax policy not helping either. There are a lack of new landlords willing to buy properties off plan which is curtailing new developments.
Housing policy in this country is designed to create a shortage.


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I know a letting agent who was given 10 brand new flats from one of his existing clients to manage, they're foreign and he's never met them. I'm not sure if foreign investors pay the same Landlords LBT or not but obviously they don't pay the same income tax I wouldn't of thought.

[Ozyhibby]

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"Paul McLennan, the housing minister, said: “These statistics for Scotland are based predominantly on newly advertised rents and do not take into account in-tenancy rent increases, which were initially frozen and then kept at 3 per cent in most cases while our emergency legislation was in place.

“They do not represent the whole private rented sector in Scotland, so are not suitable for making like-for-like comparisons with other parts of the UK.”


Importantly this data is based on advertised rents or new market rents, which
only cover about 35% of the private renters population (Scottish Household
survey 2022, 2019). A more accurate understand of rent increases throughout
both new and existing properties would take into account new market rent
increase (+14.3%) as well as the rent cap (3%) and find an average increase of
7.6% increase

● According to the Office of National Statistics, in the last 12 months to
December 2023, average rents increased by 8.8% in England, 9% in Wales and
10.9% in Scotland. Again, only new market rents were considered in Scotland
when both new market rents and existing rents were measured elsewhere.
This leads to a picture of over inflated rents in Scotland
https://assets.nationbuilder.com/liv...pdf?1715964750

Btw, I work in this industry and I’m seeing rent rises higher than the figures above. They have started to ease slightly now that the cap is mostly gone but a lot of damage has been done. It’s a real shame for tenants.


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[Ozyhibby]

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I know a letting agent who was given 10 brand new flats from one of his existing clients to manage, they're foreign and he's never met them. I'm not sure if foreign investors pay the same Landlords LBT or not but obviously they don't pay the same income tax I wouldn't of thought.

They will pay LBTT but not income tax if they are not resident here.
Think of it positively in that their commitment to buy 10 flats, probably off plan, may have been what got the project green lit by the banks in the first place.


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[superfurryhibby]

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Btw, I work in this industry and I’m seeing rent rises higher than the figures above. They have started to ease slightly now that the cap is mostly gone but a lot of damage has been done. It’s a real shame for tenants.


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Of course you do, and you also know better than the Office of National Statistics.

I agree, it is shame for the tenants.

[superfurryhibby]

For anyone concerned about rent rises, poor quality rented accommodation and any other tenancy issues, there is support out there.

Living Rent have been doing fantastic work at local and national level.

https://www.livingrent.org/the_peoples_rent_freeze

[Andy Bee]

A bit of a read but an action plan put forward by former housing minister Alex Neil. Certainly interesting, whether you agree if it's possible or not is debatable but it's at least a step forward from just declaring an emergency.

https://www.yesthink.scot/p/former-h...ister-launches

[Ozyhibby]

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A bit of a read but an action plan put forward by former housing minister Alex Neil. Certainly interesting, whether you agree if it's possible or not is debatable but it's at least a step forward from just declaring an emergency.

https://www.yesthink.scot/p/former-h...ister-launches

One of the best articles I’ve read from a politician on the issue. There is very little to disagree on in there? What is needed now is political will.


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[Moulin Yarns]

https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/...g-much-sooner/


Another Springfield village of 3000 homes near Stirling. IMHO Springfield are a good developer as they provide the infrastructure for shops, offices and small businesses within their departments.