National Assembly: Dealing with the Housing Crisis

About the event

To be able to attend the National Assembly, please RSVP to this event. You will receive a Zoom link at 5 PM on Wednesday 23rd of July.

At last year’s Westminster elections, our Party endorsed a vital policy paper by former Housing Minister and economist Alex Neil. His proposals show how, even within the tight limits of devolution, we could double the number of public homes currently being built and significantly boost overall housebuilding.

The Scottish Parliament cannot issue treasury bonds (gilts), and while councils can borrow from the UK Government via the Debt Management Office, they must do so at higher rates and under restrictive “prudential” rules. These rules stop councils from borrowing against future rental income, even though that income would cover the cost of building council homes. This is economic madness — a direct result of the broken Union.

However, Alex Neil has identified an alternative funding model that avoids much of this self-inflicted harm. There is capital available for housebuilding at rates even lower than government borrowing. The plan is backed by our Housing Policy Working Group and tenant organisations including the Scottish Tenants Organisation.

That’s why we are inviting you to a national assembly of the Housing Policy Working Group on Wednesday 23rd July at 6:30 PM, where we will outline how this plan could help tackle Scotland’s housing emergency right now.

Nick Durie

ALBA Housing Working Group, Chair

Further Info: 
Alex Neil’s paper.

Alex Neil's recent talk to the STO