SFHA responds to Scottish Government announcement on cladding remediation funding

SFHA has responded to the Scottish Government’s announcement on cladding remediation. 

The Minister for Housing, Paul McLennan MSP, announced in the Scottish Parliament on Tuesday that the Scottish Government would make £10million available to owner-occupiers to carry out single building assessments for cladding.  

However, it remains unclear if there will be a pathway to funding for housing associations to undertake cladding remediation where necessary. 

Director of External Affairs Carolyn Lochhead said: "Scotland’s housing associations and co-operatives take their responsibility for the safety of their tenants very seriously. They work to protect tenants every day, and they want to do more. However, on the matter of cladding, housing associations and their tenants are not being treated in the same way as owner-occupiers.    

"The plan that Scottish Government has set out today makes it clear that those who own their homes have a clear pathway to access funding for removing unsafe cladding: but social tenants may not. That is fundamentally wrong. Without change, we risk the burden falling on those least able to shoulder it. We need an equal approach to all types of housing, and a clear path to funding for housing associations who need it. SFHA will be working to influence the criteria before it’s published for the benefit of our members who need support.”