Welcome to the new web site of the Glasgow & West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations (GWSF). 

GWSF Open Meeting

Thursday 19th November 2009

It just does not stack up!

Paul McNeil and Drew McPhail from Housing Regeneration Consultants provided a very bleak picture if the HAG regime was not altered Housing Associations would be unable to develop or if they did so they ran the considerable risk of weaking their current financial position.

Presentation Here

GWSF 5th Annual Conference

Friday 30th October 2009 - Radisson Hotel

Flyer

Perhaps our most successful conference yet Fraser Stewart from New Gorbals provided an entertaining and informative over view of where we have come from and perhaps where we are going as a movement.

The workshops were well attended and lively and the afternoon was rounded off with a key note speech from Alex Neil Minister for Housing and Communities. The Minister was fulsome in his praise of Community Controlled Housing Association and was keen to build stronger bridges.

Conference Report

Workshop 1 Report - NASSO

Workshop 3 Slides - Scottish Housing Regulator

Continuing the maritime theme

Our Response

Glasgow SHIP   read here  

Subsequently the Forum has prepared a paper that examines current barriers to development read here

Draft Housing (Scotland) Bill ; Consultation

Our Response

Swimming against the tide?

The GWSF response was a collegiate exercise drawing together housing experts, consultants, housing practitioners and most importantly tenants, coordinated by Jim Harvey Consulting. The process involved a number of events, subsequently drawn together by an open meeting of the Forum on Thursday 6th August 2009.

If you believe some of what has been recently published we are expensive mini dictatorships, scratching our heads trying to decide what to do next!

Our response challenges the Civil Servants and more importantly Ministers to engage with us in a coherent, evidence based manner to examine the future role of social housing.

Our response builds on the proud tradition of the movement and proposes a positive future where Associations are developed and continue to contribute to the welfare of our Nation.

Summary response can be accessed here

Our full response can be accessed here.

National Accommodation Strategy for Sex Offenders

Since 2003 some GWSF members have expressed concern about housing dangerous sex offenders within our communities. More recently we have highlighted problems associated with the National Accommodation Strategy for Sex Offenders (NASSO) and the Duty to Co-operate Protocol. However there has been no coherent response from either the Scottish Government or from Glasgow City Council.

We have articulated these concerns in a report.

GWSF commissioned independent research which has confirmed that statements made in the NASSO are often unfounded and not backed by research evidence. See full report or summary report.

One of our concerns has been the lack of clear direction. We were advised by officials that responsibility for NASSO lay with ministers.

Last year Glasgow City Council consulted on the draft Duty to Co-operate Protocol. GWSF members submitted comments we have received no feedback or formal response.

GWSF is requesting that Scottish Government address the issues raised in our paper:

• Carry out a fundamental root and branch review of the NASSO.
• Begin a proper national consultation on the principles and the operation of NASSO.
• Suspend the allocation of social rented housing to dangerous sex offenders pending this review.
• Commission independent primary research to provide empirical evidence about the impact of housing on re-offending rates of sex offenders.
• Examine the distribution of sex offenders in Scotland and establish whether Scotland's poorest communities are disproportionately housing the most dangerous categories of sex offenders being released from prison.

GWSF response to consultation on Standing for Office: Time-Off Entitlement and Encouraging Civil Engagement

"Encouraging more and different people to take up specific civic roles is another important facet of empowering our communities, as is developing the potential of an enterprising third sector as set out in the Enterprising Third Sector Action Plan"

"The United Kingdom Government is consulting on extending the right to time off to people serving in a wide range of civic roles with a view to implementation by secondary legislation in October 2009."

GWSF response to Investment in Affordable Housing - Consultation Dec 2008

After a period of briefing and consultation with members the Forum has submitted its response to the consultation.

This response must be read in conjunction with our briefing paper "The end of Local Control?" - see below

"The end of Local Control?"

GWSF Briefing on the Scottish Government's Proposals for Investing in Affordable Housing in Scotland

Recently the Government published its latest Consultation Document in respect of investment. To assist CCHAs across Scotland formulate a response, GWSF commissioned Jim Harvey Consulting to prepare in conjunction with the Forum a Briefing paper.

This paper highlights the lack of evidence for the proposed course of action but also articulates policy alternatives which will assist the long term sustainability of the CCHA movement.

GWSF encourages all member CCHAs to respond individually, stressing the need for the Government to refocus its approach and adopt the proposals set out in Section 5 of the Briefing Paper.

We hope that you find the contents of the briefing paper relevant as you formulate your response - remember the deadline for responses is 17th March 2009.

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 provided 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.