Communities Scotland sets targets for 2007/08

Communities Scotland sets targets for 2007/08

05.07.07

Minister for Communities and Sport, Stewart Maxwell, has set Communities Scotland ten targets to cover 2007/08.

The targets have been drawn up and are aligned to a number of the Scottish government’s strategic objectives. They will give the housing and regeneration agency operational certainty while Ministers consider the most effective organisational structures to support national, regional and local delivery of its policies.

Chief Executive, Angiolina Foster, said: “These are welcome targets which allow us to get on with the job. They are challenging but we have a track record of delivery and our staff are committed to improving the lives of people throughout Scotland in their homes and communities.”

1 We will fund a further 8,000 affordable homes by the end March 2008, of which at least 1,800 will be targeted at helping first time buyers on modest incomes get onto the property ladder.

2 During the course of the year we will work with social landlord organisations to ensure that they have reduced the number of houses failing to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard by at least 25,000.

3 We will ensure central heating systems are installed or repaired in 10,000 homes and that insulation measures are installed in 10,000 homes, by March 2008.

4 We will consult on draft guidance and regulations which will provide local authorities with the implementation framework to use statutory and funding mechanisms to address poor conditions in the private housing sector.

5 We will support Ministers to establish the housing and regeneration policy framework within which Glasgow Housing

Association will develop a strategy for the future of its housing stock.

6 The regulator will target housing and homelessness services that are not delivering well for tenants and other customers, and will drive improvement by inspecting 20 organisations by March 2008.

7 We will ensure that by March 2008 all 32 community planning partnerships have provided evidence in annual reports that they are making measurable progress in focusing mainstream services and budgets on the most deprived neighbourhoods to deliver locally agreed regeneration priorities. We will also ensure that we achieve 100% match funding of Community Regeneration Funding of £112 million.

8 By March 2008, in consultation with partners including communities, we will develop proposals to implement empowered status communities, and will have invited around six to nine communities to opt for empowered status.

9 We will formally establish 9 registered Tenant Organisation Regional Networks by March 2008 to provide effective participation structures for engagement between the tenants movement in Scotland and the Scottish Government, and have involved the networks in national policy development during that period.

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By March 2008 we will have published the Agency’s sustainable development policy to provide leadership to the housing and regeneration sectors to reduce their environmental impact.

Source: Communities Scotland, www.communitiesscotland.gov.uk