Guidance on assessing housing need
2.11 It is important to remember that judgement is always required in assessing housing need, and an uncritical application of any particular method has the very real danger of leading to inappropriate conclusions.
2.12 Local authorities should use:
Local Housing System Analysis Good Practice Guide (Communities Scotland, 2004) by O'Sullivan, Young, Maclennan, Gibb, McLaren, Britain, Dowie and Thornton. The specific purposes of this guide are to:
Provide a description of the policy contexts within which housing analysis needs to be undertaken in Scotland;
Explain why it is essential to adopt a system based perspective in undertaking housing analysis;
Describe what a systems based perspective on housing analysis involves;
Provide a framework for identifying, assessing and monitoring imbalances in a local housing system over time;
Review the techniques and data sources that can be used to undertake LHSA;
Provide examples of good practice in LHSA and information on how to follow up specific issues.
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2.13 For a summary of this approach, senior managers and councillors may wish to refer to:
Local Housing System Analysis Good Practice Guide Summary (Communities Scotland, 2004).
2.14 As part of the continuous improvement of LHS, the Scottish Executive is considering further guidance on the consistent assessment of future housing requirements at different spatial levels and on the need for further analysis of the implications of recent changes to the homelessness legislation.
2.15 In the meantime, where the evidence available suggests a shortage of affordable housing authorities should establish and report its extent using the approach laid out in:
Local Housing Needs Assessment: A Guide to Good Practice (DTLR (now ODPM), 2000) by Bramley, Pawson and Parker. This provides a comprehensive guide to needs assessment.
2.16 The quantification in the LHS of the overall housing requirement and, within that, of affordable housing need, will inform the preparation of development plans. Local authorities should ensure that LHS and development plans share common objectives. Where they wish to use the planning system to help to deliver affordable housing, they should ensure this is reflected in the development plan and have regard to Scottish Planning Policy 3: Planning for Housing and Planning Advice Note 74: Affordable Housing.
Pressured areas
2.17 Where a shortage of affordable housing creates difficulties in meeting demand for social rented housing and where these difficulties have been exacerbated by the operation of the Right to Buy (RTB), local authorities may propose that specific areas be designated by the Scottish Executive as "pressured areas" for purposes of suspending the RTB for some tenants. Guidance on applying for pressured area status has been published by the Scottish Executive. Supplementary guidance was published in April 2006.
2.18 A précis of research into assessing the long-run impact of the RTB is also available, which provides useful information on the steps that should be followed in applying for pressured area status. It also contains links to other useful reports.
