Funding Boost for Older and Disabled homeowners

Linda Fabiani MSP has welcomed a Scottish Government funding boost which will see South Lanarkshire Council receive an extra £1.064m from a programme allowing local authorities to fund adaptations to the homes of older people and others with disabilities, to enable them to continue to live independently. Overall the programme is to receive an extra £15 million from Communities Scotland this year.

The extra funding for Private Sector Housing Grant (PSHG), which brings the total to over £82 million this year, will help thousands of older and disabled people who need a grant to carry out adaptations or practical assistance through their local Care and Repair service.

The additional funding will also help local authorities prepare to implement the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, which gives them powers to make new services – such as specialist advice – available to homeowners who need to repair and improve their homes.

In addition, this funding, and all future PSHG funding will be distributed to authorities on a much simpler, and less bureaucratic, basis. This enhanced funding flexibility will also allow for any unspent PSHG to be held by authorities for use in 2008/09 and 2009/10. This will help authorities by giving them funding certainty, particularly where people apply for funding but the work takes place over an extended period of time.

Welcoming the announcement of the extra funding from Communities and Sport Minister, Stewart Maxwell, Ms Fabiani said:
“This demonstrates the Scottish Governments commitment to ensuring everyone in Scotland has the right to live in a decent home.

“South Lanarkshire’s share of £1.064m will increase the councils overall allocation in this area to £5.839m for 2007/08
“The additional money will allow the local authority to raise the standard of living for some of the most vulnerable residents in East Kilbride and elsewhere in the county.

“The Scottish Government have told local authorities that they will have over £68 million each year until 2010/11 and greater flexibility in the year-on-year use of those funds.

“This will help thousands of people adapt their homes to support them to live independently, and will enable councils to fund new approaches to helping owners fund repairs and improvements.”