I recently read an small but thought provoking
article that appeared in the South Glasgow News.
The article in question had revealed that Glasgow Housing
Association proposes a £7 million transformation of one of three multi-storeys,
earmarked for demolition, in order to offer key worker and young professionals,
local to the new Southern General Hospital and Digital Media Quarter at Pacific
Quay the opportunity to rent one of 98 affordable priced flats, with an option
to purchase later.
Part funding for this project, 1.1 million, will be
provided by the Scottish Government’s, Innovation and Investment Fund. GHA’s Executive Director of Development and Regeneration
Alex McGuire, had said “We are determined at GHA to help increase the number of
housing options people have in the City, not everyone can buy in the current
market”. Capital Secretary for
Infrastructure and Capital Investment Alex Neil said “With the public purse
under huge financial strain we need radical and innovative approaches to
increase housing supply at maximum value for taxpayer’s money, we called for
fresh thinking and new ideas and in response Councils, Housing Associations and
Private Developers have risen to the challenge magnificently”.
The story concluded with the information that the previous
tenants had been re-housed in upgraded properties, new built homes or houses
belonging to other registered Social Landlords.
So two blocks of these multi-storey flats will be
demolished with the loss of approximately 196 homes, with the help of the
Scottish Government the remaining block including its 98 flats will be
renovated and rented to key workers and young professionals.
Great the Social Housing shortage in Glasgow has been finally
addressed, at least by GHA, who can renovate, rent and then privately sell of
Social Housing stock, I assume that when it came to re-housing the 300 previous
tenants, the fact that GHA did not have enough property of its own in the area
had been an oversight, and they no longer need to worry about anyone having a
roof over their head.
What a relief then, because I for one had been quite
alarmed at the Homeless Statistics released by the Scottish Government this
year, including Glasgow
Oh, and the Scottish Government has promised to end
homelessness by 2012.
Before anyone has a moan about me picking on key workers
and young professionals don’t bother, this isn’t about the aforementioned; it’s
about homelessness and the need to address this issue before we sell off anymore
Social Housing. The homeless of Glasgow need affordable accommodation now, the
key workers and young professionals who will eventually move into these flat
are not homeless nor roofless give the Social Housing to those who are a
priority, I’m sure Glasgow City Council has lots of property surplus to their
requirement that they are just desperate to sell off to feed their development
addiction and megalomania. I personally
find the comments of the previously mentioned gentlemen, patronising and
insulting do they think the citizens of Glasgow
Finally, the idea of renting with the option to buy in the
future is neither innovative nor radical, before mortgages there had been
rental purchases, a while ago yes, but all done before. What would be innovative and radical is if
someone could take responsibility, sincere responsibility, for dealing with the homeless problem by
supplying more affordable Social Housing to everyone who needs it, not just key workers and young professionals, and stop
looking for ways to make a profit whilst others suffer. Remember the homeless are human too.
Until the next time …
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