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30 September 2008

SCOTTISH HOUSING REGULATOR SETS ITS PATH FOR THE FUTURE

The Scottish Housing Regulator today published its first corporate plan, covering a two-year period to 2010.

Set up in April this year to regulate housing associations and local authority housing services, the new regulator aims to safeguard the interests of current and future tenants, secure the continuing provision of good quality social housing, and maintain the confidence of funders.

Karen Watt, Chief Executive of the Scottish Housing Regulator, said:

“We have a long-established, and successful, track record of regulating housing providers within previous organisations. This is our first plan as a separate, specialist, regulation agency. It sets out our strategy for placing the interests of current and future tenants, and people facing homelessness, at the heart of our work. It focuses on the outcomes that matter most and the things that can make a real difference to people’s lives, through better homes and services.

The Scottish Government has consulted on ways to modernise our regulation framework and is reviewing the structure of public service scrutiny. Over the next two years we’ll be working closely with people and organisations that have a stake in our work to make sure we are paving the way for possible future changes and creating a framework fit for the next decade and beyond.”

The corporate plan is available on the Scottish Housing Regulator’s website – www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk.


Note to editors:

The Scottish Housing Regulator was established from 1 April 08 following the abolition of Communities Scotland. Although it is now a separate, specialist regulation agency, it has regulated social housing providers over the last 30 years within previous organisations.

1. As a government agency the Scottish Housing Regulator will have complete operational independence but will remain accountable to Scottish Ministers, and through them to the Scottish Parliament, for the standard of its work.



2. The SHR has a risk-based approach to regulation and uses a range of responses to achieve its purpose.

Contact name: Iain Muirhead

Contact number: 0141-271-3760