Chapter 3
Housing Needs
National Research
3.1 The ‘Local Housing Need and Affordability Model for Scotland’ (Bramley 2003/ Update 2004) outlines the level of affordable housing need across Scotland.
3.2 This research reports that East Renfrewshire has an estimated annual net need of 435 households/dwellings. This shows the local area is far more pressured than the larger Glasgow HMA, where there is an overall surplus. The research projects that affordable housing need will increase significantly in East Renfrewshire over the next 12 years.
Local Research
3.3 In preparation of the East Renfrewshire Local Housing Strategy, the Council commissioned research into the ‘Social Rented Housing Requirement’ in the area. The research assessed the unmet social housing need over the period 2004 to 2009 and identified a large affordable housing shortfall across East Renfrewshire.
3.4 The main research conclusions and policy recommendations include:
there is a need for the development of 2640 social rented houses across East Renfrewshire between 2004 and 2009 (in addition to an assumed 35 new socially rented houses completions per annum)
the highest concentration of need for social housing is in Eastwood which is not matched by the location of the majority of social rented housing stock which is located in the Levern Valley
the council should continue to work with local housing associations and Communities Scotland to address the need for affordable housing through new development activity which must be more than 35 units per annum if the Council and its partners are to see any reduction on the current level of housing need
the Council should formulate an affordable housing policy.