Glasgow's draft Local Housing Strategy sets objectives for next five years

Published: 24 January 2024

The draft Local Housing Strategy (LHS) 203-28 for Glasgow was considered by Glasgow City Council today (24 January).

Glasgow's LHS assesses housing need and demand in the city, and provides direction for tackling housing issues and informs future investment in housing and related services, with a stated vision that, 'Everyone in Glasgow will have access to an affordable, suitable, climate-friendly home, which promotes good health and wellbeing and connects to communities and the opportunities the city offers.'

The LHS was informed by the Scottish Government's Housing to 2040 strategy; the city's Tenant-Led Housing Commission report; and partner and stakeholder engagement on a range of issues, with more consultation to come over the next few months.

A balance has been struck in the draft LHS between meeting immediate challenges such as the cost of living crisis, affordable warmth and the risk of homelessness, and longer-term aims such as retrofitting homes and building homes of the right size and type in the right place.

In addition, the LHS aims to address the Grand Challenges set out in the council's Strategic Plan, with 23 commitments set out that will improve health and wellbeing, support inclusive, resilient and sustainable economic growth, become a net zero carbon city by 2030, and create safe, clean and thriving neighbourhoods.

There will also be a series of key indicators in the plan, including a target of 13,000 new homes in the city by 2028, half of which are to be affordable homes.

Five priorities for the LHS aim to deliver its mission:

• Delivering more homes and great places that reduce poverty and inequality and increase opportunity and prosperity for all;
• Improving the energy efficiency of Glasgow's homes, reducing fuel poverty and supporting a Just Transition to Net Zero through decarbonising domestic heating and energy;
• Improving the condition of Glasgow's homes and preserving Glasgow's tenements and built heritage;
• Supporting people to live independently and well at home in the community; and
• Improving housing options, affordability and sustainability for tenants and owners, to prevent and reduce homelessness.

These priorities will help meet 10 key strategic challenges for the LHS: supporting Glasgow's Social Housing Providers to continue to deliver affordable, suitable and sustainable homes to meet needs; delivering Glasgow's affordable housing supply programme; supporting strategic "place" planning; repurposing for Residential and Empty Homes; affordable warmth and fuel poverty; retrofit and investment in pre-1919 tenements; delivering specialist housing and larger sized homes; preventing and reducing homelessness; reducing poverty and inequality, and increasing opportunity and prosperity; and promoting good health and wellbeing in our communities.

Councillor Kenny McLean, Convener for Housing at Glasgow City Council, said: "More good housing in Glasgow will not only improve the lives of individuals, families and communities, but aids our health and wellbeing and contributes to our economic recovery and Net Zero targets. The Local Housing Strategy for Glasgow defines what the council and its partners would like to see happen in Glasgow's housing sector in the short, medium and long-term. The draft Strategy outlines these aims, providing an integrated vision of how we want the city's homes and communities to look and feel like."

After the formal consultation period and the collation of feedback, the draft LHS will be reviewed and appropriately amended before coming back to the council's City Administration Committee for approval later this year.