Scotland Policy Conferences

For booking-related queries or information on speaking please email us at info@forumsupport.co.uk, or contact us: +44 (0)1344 864796.

Housing policy in Scotland - the new regulatory framework, protecting vulnerable groups, and the Government’s long-term strategy

October 2020


Starting from: £99 + VAT
Format: DOWNLOADABLE PDF


*


***Full-scale policy conference taking place online***


This conference will assess The Scottish Government’s strategy for housing and the new framework for regulation - with keynote contributions from the Minister and the Scottish Housing Regulator.


The discussion at a glance:


  • Housing to 2040 - discussing principles for housing communities in Scotland
  • implementation issues and implications for the future of housing - delivery of high quality housing and well-designed communities, sustainability, and homes that meet peoples’ needs
  • COVID - the impact on the housing sector and those working on it in Scotland - and the role played by the sector in response - as well as:
    • restarting the housing market - early indications on progress in
    • support - what is needed to protect the resilience of the housing sector for the future
    • changing consumer and societal priorities - priorities for servicing newly-embedded needs for housing that supports health, the environment and new ways of working

The agenda:


  • The Scottish Government’s strategy for housing across Scotland
  • Opportunities to develop a dynamic, resilient and inclusive housing system in Scotland
  • Meeting Scotland’s housing needs: homelessness, supporting an ageing population, and tackling poverty
  • Social housing and the private rental sector: balancing the interests of tenants and landlords, improving existing housing stock and controlling rent increases in the private sector
  • The regulatory framework - implications for tenants and Registered Social Landlords

The discussion in detail:


  • social housing - implementation of the regulatory framework introduced by the Scottish Housing Regulator
  • the private rented sector:
    • the regulatory framework - potential effectiveness in encouraging the culture of assurance, openness and transparency outlined as an aim by the Regulator
    • rent in the private sector - with reports that the Regulator will be engaging with registered social landlords on the affordability of rents
  • short term lets - the Scottish Government's response to its consultation, including potential powers for local authorities to introduce control areas following the passage of the Planning Act
  • addressing key social challenges:
    • Ending Homelessness Together - implementation of its measures, including funding for frontline third sector organisations to support them to innovate and transform services
    • older people - priorities for meeting their housing needs, including adaptability for longer independent living - and prospects for reducing pressures on the health and social care system
    • poverty - increasing housing affordability and lowering house running costs for families with children
  • market dynamics - balancing the interests of tenants and landlords in both the private rented and social housing sectors
  • improving standards - priorities across the housing sector, including how to ensure that housing stock run by local authorities and social landlords meets The Scottish Housing Quality Standard                                                                                                                                                                                             

A scan of relevant developments:


  • housing supply - the Planning (Scotland) Act aiming to increase the amount of house building in Scotland
  • housing and the economy - Towards a Robust, Resilient Wellbeing Economy for Scotland from the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery:
    • recommending accelerated investment in housing
    • The Scottish Government’s response with plans to work with the Scottish National Investment Bank for maximise impact
  • planning - Scottish Government consultation on NPF4, the latest National Planning Framework
  • energy efficiency - the Improving energy efficiency in owner occupied homes consultation and the pandemic-delayed Energy Efficiency (Private Rented Property) (Scotland) Regulations
  • support for landlords - in the face of the pandemic with the Private Rent Sector Landlord COVID-19 Loan Scheme to help with temporary loss of their rental income during the crisis
  • support for tenants:
    • Tenant Hardship Loan Fund - £10m to support people struggling to pay rent due to the impact of COVID-19
    • the Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) - increased by £3m
  • short-term lets - local licensing schemes implemented by councils in Scotland from April 2021, with a compulsory safety requirement, and with ministers considering future taxation for such lets
  • Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group: tackling homelessness following coronavirus - the Government reportedly accepting all the report’s recommendations, which included:
    • upscaling Housing First Scotland
    • protecting tenants and those with No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF)
    • adding to the National Performance Framework
    • reviewing Ending Homelessness Together

Policy officials attending:


Our forums are known for attracting strong interest from policymakers and stakeholders. Places have been reserved by parliamentary pass-holders from The Scottish Parliament, and officials from The Scottish Government.


This is a full-scale conference taking place online***


  • full, four-hour programme including comfort breaks - you’ll also get a full recording to refer back to
  • information-rich discussion involving key policymakers and stakeholders
  • conference materials provided in advance, including speaker biographies
  • speakers presenting via webcam, accompanied by slides if they wish, using the Cisco WebEx professional online conference platform (easy for delegates - we’ll provide full details)
  • opportunities for live delegate questions and comments with all speakers
  • a recording of the addresses, all slides cleared by speakers, and further materials, is made available to all delegates afterwards as a permanent record of the proceedings
  • delegates are able to add their own written comments and articles following the conference, to be distributed to all attendees and more widely
  • networking too - there will be opportunities for delegates to e-meet and interact - we’ll tell you how!

Full information and guidance on how to take part will be sent to delegates before the conference



This on-demand pack includes

  • A full video recording of the conference as it took place, with all presentations, Q&A sessions, and remarks from chairs
  • An automated transcript of the conference
  • Copies of the slides used to accompany speaker presentations (subject to permission
  • Access to on-the-day materialfs, including speaker biographies, attendee lists and the agenda