Waiting list for council house over 14 years
Right to Buy sees a fifth of stock lost
Residents in Rutherglen and Cambuslang are facing waits of over 14 years for social housing, the Reformer can reveal.
Rutherglen and Cambuslang Housing Association released figures last week to coincide with the end of Right to Buy in Scotland.
According to the association, they lost a fifth of all their housing stock due to the Right to Buy policy over the past 30 years, despite increased demand for affordable rented accommodation.
They also said during the 2015/16 financial year, they had 651 applicants on their housing list but managed to rehouse just 45 through relets.
Association chairman, Robert McLeary also revealed they hoped to start building more homes soon.
He said: “Right to Buy applications have decreased in recent years as a result of restrictions put in place on the Modernised Right to Buy, but we were anticipating an upsurge in application in a few years’ time when these were lifted.
“We are therefore delighted that this will not happen as losing a further large proportion of our stock would have threatened our viability as a local housing provider.
“In recent years we have been unable to develop new homes as a result of the reduction in subsidies available from the government for new house building.
“The subsidy levels have recently been increased however and we are hopeful that we can start building small scale developments again, although this will be dependent on the availability of suitable land in our area.”
Introduced by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s, Right to Buy allowed thousands of Scottish council tenants to buy their homes.
Supporters say it led to the greatest transfer of wealth from the state to the individual in UK history, but opponents say it led to a shortage of social housing.
South Lanarkshire Council leader, Eddie McAvoy, also hailed the end of the controversial policy.
He said: “A large number of people took up the opportunity but the right decision has now been taken.”
Clare Haughey MSP also hailed the end of the scheme: “I appreciate that many have welcomed the opportunity to purchase their rented homes.
“However, over the past 30 years nearly 500,000 social housing units have been sold off in Scotland, with fewer than one in three being replaced.
“Over the next 10 years the abolition of the right to buy will keep up to 15,500 homes in the social sector that would otherwise have been sold off, many eventually ending up in the more expensive private rented sector, which pushes up spending on housing benefits.
“Since 2007 the Scottish Government has invested heavily in affordable housing and we will continue to work closely with social landlords, including Rutherglen and Cambuslang Housing Association, as well as local authorities and the private sector, to maximise our investment in housing and deliver on our ambitious target of 50,000 affordable homes over the lifetime of this parliament, including 35,000 social homes.”