Welcome to the new website of the Glasgow & West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations (GWSF).  Check out the "What's New" page to view a listing of recently

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4th ANNUAL CONFERENCE

'Flourishing in the Future'

Friday 19th September 2008

The Glasgow Hilton Hotel, William Street, Glasgow

The conference provided an opportunity for members to catch our collective breaths during another hectic year!

Reviewing what we have achieved and recognising the challenges that we face to ensure that the Community Controlled movement thrives.

Fraser Stewart, New Gorbals provided an impassioned account of the development of the movement. He recognised the threats of the new HAG regime, delays in the delivery of SST. However there was a chink of light as he sensed a shift, whilst politicians have always provided positive rhetoric there was a sense that Government were fully engaged with our concerns.

Lucy Ferman, Tribal Consultant provdied an insight of the housing landscape down south, where there appears the beginning of a backlash to the epidemic of merger over recent years presentation.

John Carnochan,Violence Reduction Unit, Strathclyde Police, John provided an engaging if ultimately troubling insight into the corrosive nature of violence within society. Notably our tenants are disproportionately the perpetrators and victims of such violence. He champions behavioral change programmes that require early intervention in the lives of our tenants. presentation

Sub Plenary Sessions

JIm Harvey - Affordable Housing Investment Reform- presentation

Rod Hunter - Campaigning for CCHAs - presentation

Wendy Reid - CCHAS as Community Development Organsiations - presentation

Parliamentary support for CCHAs

Over the past two years the GWSF has engaged in discussions with all parties to articulate the interests of Community Controlled Housing in Glasgow and the West of Scotland.
The recent parliamentary debate highlighted MSPs awareness of the current issues and their support for CCHAs notes of debate.

GHA Board told Second Stage Transfer Calculations

'may be unfair to tenants'

GWSF commissioned a leading firm of accountants to examine the current GHA valuation assumptions, the report makes interesting reading (full report available in members' pages).

The analysis in the report suggests:

• The practical application of the current valuation methodology is contrary to the spirit of financial neutrality, prejudicial to transferring tenants under SST and contrary to the 'fairness to all ' tenants.
• The significant discrepancy between GHA's proposed prices for transactions involved in SST and the loan security valuation for the same properties, compromises the ability to deliver SST according to GHA's current valuation methodology.
• The 'first and only' / 'first and last' application of GHA's current valuation methodology appears not to have been agreed with Scottish Government nor, in its development shared with prospective purchasers of GHA stock.
• The first and only / 'first and last application represents a flawed premise in the context of known SST business case submissions.
• There are areas where the treatment of costs can be revisited, the result of which would permit SST to occur at a price more likely to be affordable to LHOs without impairing the ability of GHA to meet its residual obligations.

Full briefing note available here

The report has been submitted to the GHA board for consideration, copy of covering letter from GWSF chair, Lyn Ewing

A Press Release to accompany these documents was circulated on 14 April 2008

NEW!  GWSF's response to the Scottish Government's Discussion Document "Firm Foundations - the Future of Housing in Scotland"

The aims of this website are to:-

• Provide information on GWSF's activities and events. 
• Raise awareness of key housing issues in Glasgow & West of Scotland such as: the secondary stage transfer of stock from the Glasgow Housing Association to community controlled housing associations (SST); investment; and homelessness.
• Share information and communicate with affiliated members, other housing associations, and key players in the housing sector e.g. Communities Scotland, the Scottish Executive, and Glasgow City Council.

We hope you find the website useful. If you have any queries, comments or feedback please contact us at:- info@gwsf.org.uk.