PRESS RELEASE

Rent rise announced	13th February 2002
Scottish Homes is to increase rents by an average of £1.30 a week from April 1. The average rent of a Scottish Homes house in 2002/2003 will be approximately £45.45 per week, although rents vary according to size and type of property. More than 76 per cent of tenants currently receive housing benefit and are protected from the increase, which this year averages 2.6 per cent. At April 1, Scottish Homes will have around 3,000 homes in its ownership following a comprehensive programme of transfers which has seen some 50,000 homes move to alternative, often community-based, social landlords. Richard Burn, Scottish Homes Depute Chief Executive, said: “The rental increase will allow us to continue with our planned maintenance programme of safety work, other external work, medical adaptations and our normal day-to-day repairs.” Details of the actual increase for individual properties is being issued to Scottish Homes tenants this week. Notes 1. The main functions of Scottish Homes transferred to the new Scottish Executive agency, Communities Scotland, on November 1 2001. The new agency has a broader community regeneration remit and is directly accountable to Ministers and the Scottish Parliament. A residuary body, retaining the Scottish Homes name, continues to manage its remaining properties until they transfer into community ownership. Most of the remaining homes are expected to transfer to alternative social landlords over the next year. 2. Scottish Homes was set up in 1989, at which time it was owner and landlord of 74,500 houses throughout Scotland. As a result of a programme of transfers, and through the right to buy, the residuary body now owns and manages around 3,000 properties.
Anne Graham Tel: 0131 479 5167