Fiona King's 3 Wishes

Fiona King is senior policy officer at Shelter Scotland and works on policy and legislation around homelessness, social housing, welfare and poverty based in the Edinburgh office. 

Below she outlines her three housing wishes.

1. Supply, supply, supply!

We have been banging this drum for a long time but we need to redress the chronic under-supply of social and affordable housing to meet current demand but also the needs of a growing and changing population.  In Scotland we need at least 10,000 affordable homes to be built each year and we need to see a commitment across the sector to delivering that.

2. Person-centred homelessness and housing advice

In Scotland we have the right legislation in place but we need to ensure that people have access to services, advice and support they require.  We need to build on the huge achievement of the ‘2012 commitment’ and ensure that it is people, not processes at the heart of homelessness and housing advice.

3. Greater security in the private rented sector

With increasing pressure on access to social housing, and many people locked out of home ownership, more individuals and families are renting in the private sector. To make private renting more suitable for these groups we need greater security of tenure. Shelter Scotland is campaigning for greater security, but also improvements in physical standards and the regulation of letting agents to make sure the PRS is a viable option for families across Scotland.