The Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland warned that welfare reforms threaten the Scottish Government’s Housing First agenda

Dublin has the most severe housing crisis in Europe

COMMONSPACE editor Ben Wray spoke to North Dublin Bay Community Crisis housing activist Aisling Heddermann about the housing crisis in Dublin and Ireland and how the housing movement there is trying to fight for housing rights. Dublin has the least affordable housing of any city in Europe, with rents over 50 per cent of income. Ben and Aisling discussed:

0.50: The nature of the housing and homelessness crisis in Dublin and Ireland, and why it is so severe.

As a new report from the Living Rent tenants’ union and the Common Weal think-tank makes the case for national rent controls, CommonSpace compares its proposals to schemes in place around the world

Common Weal and Living Rent have teamed up to call for the Scottish Government to introduce rent controls. The report published today shows that the Scottish Governments flagship “Rent Pressure Zones” are unworkable and calls for a new model of “proper rent controls”. Since the power to introduce Rent Pressure Zones came into effect in 2016 no local authority has successfully introduce one.

The SFHA and Scottish Labour have called for more money to be committed to help older and disabled people live safely and independently in their own homes

Timon Moss, a housing researcher and planner, outlines his vision for a community-led housing model in Scotland, showing real-life examples from the rest of UK and further afield and highlighting legal impediments in Scotland to this model flourishing here

Housing Minister: “While we know this is an ambitious target, we have shown we can deliver on housing and we will continue to do so.”

HOMELESSNESS charity Shelter Scotland has warned the Scottish Government that it must not break its “promise to Scotland” of delivering 35,000 social houses between 2016-2021, as new data shows it has a long way to go to meet its target.

The statistics, published by the Scottish Government today [11 December] shows 5,340 social rented homes were delivered to September 2018, an increase of 19 per cent.