November 2 2023

Glasgow City Council has set out a five-year plan budgeted at £527m with the potential to deliver over 7,500 affordable homes spread across 186 projects.

Working in partnership with registered social landlords the local authority will tackle hosuing need through a range of projects as part of its Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) such as a self and custom build pilot in Maryhill.

A 56% increase in the costs associated with developing affordabe homes over the past five years has weighed on investment amid high inflation, interest rates and increasing costs of remediating brownfield land.

This latter constraint has been alleviated by the Housing Infrastructure Fund which has been used to open up developable land at Maryhill Locks, Hamiltonhill and the Gallowgate.

Spanning the period 2024/25 to 2028/29 the document sets out how the delivery of new housing can alleviate homelessness, encourage more families to live in the city and support refugees.

80.7% of SHIP funded new homes will be for social-rent, with 18.5% categorised as mid-market rent and 0.8% shared equity. Furthermore, no less than 10% of properties in developments of 20 homes and larger will be wheelchair accessible - a response to ageing demographics where the number of residents aged 65 and over by 2032 is projected to be 22.3% higher than today.

4 Comments

#1 Posted by Papa on 2 Nov 2023 at 14:30 PM

Great to see a strategy for affordable housing that is spread more fairy across Glasgow this time. I hope the previous obsession with Govan changes. Thanks.

#2 Posted by Spike on 2 Nov 2023 at 17:33 PM

As well as meeting the social and housing needs I hope this strategy leads to a significant increase in the City's population; this is needed to support further infrastructure development in the region.

#3 Posted by Sven on 3 Nov 2023 at 10:05 AM

Outside space must be included with flats and houses. The Glasgow effect is almost certainly contributed by the large percentage of poor people living in flats and getting very little fresh air and sun. Large balconies should be standard, not the endless dreary 1 double bedroom 1 single room that is endlessly and mindlessly added to Glasgow.

#4 Posted by Fat Bloke on Tour on 7 Nov 2023 at 10:13 AM

Looking like the guts of a £100K subsidy towards the build economics of the social rent units -- not sure if this is a public sector money go round towards GCC?

What is the real market value of these sites -- who are they held by and what prices will be paid to the current owner?

If they are to be used for social rent then the intrinsic value will be low and if properly represented in the build financials would suggest a capital subsidy of a lot less that £100K.

The issue not addressed is the number of existing units that will be demolished to make way for these new units -- might be a good question to ask.

Also the lack of an integrated approach to social housing provision suggests social segmentation is the way that the social housing nomenklatura want to go.

Surely mid market rent and shared equity should be more involved to deliver a more complete solution with varied income neighbourhoods rather than DSS hotspots which the focus on social rent will produce?

If social rent is aiming for mixed income neighbourhoods then why is scarce public money being used to house the economically active?

Finally build economics -- Social rent vs BTR?
Should social housing be looking at BTR or is it just a private sector gig?

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