Council publish their housing strategy

South Lanarkshire Council has launched its local housing strategy for 2017 until 2020.

The strategy, called Affordable Homes, Sustainable Places, sets out priority actions and outcomes that will guide council policy over the next five years.

It was launched to coincide with Scottish Housing Day which took place last week.

Councillor Josh Wilson, chair of housing and technical resources, said:“Although there is a good supply of housing to meet needs within the area, not everyone lives in an ideal situation and their needs change over the years.

“In developing the strategy, we spoke to a wide range of people to assess the housing situation across South Lanarkshire and look at how we can meet demand and improve the quality of housing.

“This gives us a clear structure for what we believe we need to do and the best way to deliver the outcomes the strategy seeks to achieve.”

Affordable Homes, Sustainable Places is published online and can be viewed and downloaded at: www. southlanarkshire.gov.uk.

Housing services staff also supported Scottish Housing Day across South Lanarkshire through organising a series of charity fundraising activities to benefit local food banks.

Head of housing services, Annette Finnan, said: “I want to thank all staff for their efforts and generosity in raising money for a very worthy local cause.

“Scottish Housing Day is an important opportunity to raise awareness of housing issues and show the importance of housing that contributes towards building successful and sustainable places.

“However, this fundraising reminds us of the fundamental truth behind housing – the reason behind all we do is not the buildings themselves, but the people within them.”