"Right to buy" under scrutiny
5 Jan 05
Executive to review social housing sector tenants' right to buy their homes
Scottish Ministers are to review the tenant's right to buy from local authorities and housing associations, as part of their strategy to end homelessness by 2012.
Communities Minister Malcolm Chisholm, interviewed on BBC Scotland yesterday, denied that existing tenants would find their rights curtailed but admitted that there could be changes affecting new tenants. The matter would be reviewed in consultation with housing providers next year.
His comments followed a claim by David Orr, chief executive of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, that the shortage of affordable housing would be the Executive's biggest problem over the next five to 10 years - due in particular to the 50,000 homes removed from the rental sector under right-to-buy, compared with only a third of that number built for renting.