Housing to 2040: Fairer Scotland Duty

Summary of aims and expected outcomes of Housing to 2040

The aim of Housing to 2040 is to ensure that everyone living in Scotland has access to a warm, safe, affordable and energy-efficient home that meets their needs, in a community that they feel part of and proud of.

Housing to 2040 has been informed and shaped by extensive engagement and consultation with people and organisations across Scotland, including two rounds of consultation[i], events, a travelling housing exhibition[ii] and input from the Social Renewal Advisory Board Housing System Policy Circle.[iii]

The Housing to 2040 Vision aims to achieve:

• A well-functioning housing market
• High quality and sustainable homes
• Homes that meet people’s needs
• Sustainable communities

The Housing to 2040 route map sets out a twenty year framework to achieve this Vision by delivering:

• Homes at the heart of great places
• Affordability and choice
• Affordable warmth and zero emissions homes
• Quality homes

In doing so, Housing to 2040 puts equality at the heart, seeking to achieve these benefits and outcomes for everyone in Scotland.

Housing to 2040 will make an important contribution not only to achieving the Vision but will also bring benefits across the National Performance Framework.[iv]

Affordable housing helps to tackle poverty and inequality. Increasing the supply of affordable and social rented homes and tackling unreasonably high rents in the private rented sector will continue to make an impact on child poverty levels.

Safe and warm homes and good neighbourhoods improve physical and mental health and wellbeing and build strong communities. Making sure homes add to and create great places will help to improve social cohesion, enable and contribute to community wealth building and unlock social capital across Scotland.

High quality homes and neighbourhoods improve children’s wellbeing and development. Improving the quality of new build social homes and addressing all-tenure standards will make an important contribution to ensuring people can live well in their homes and children have the space indoors and outdoors that they need to thrive.

Housing creates and supports jobs and drives inclusive economic growth and social benefits. Housing’s unique place at the heart of thriving communities means that investment in housing, and all the indirect effects that flow from that, can contribute to community wealth and social renewal.

Housing to 2040 will be delivered over the coming decades, with regular monitoring of progress and assessment of impact, with updates and refreshments made as needed.