"Home ownership must not be only option" , says SCSH, as Bank of Scotland research shows almost half of young Scots fear they can't afford to buy their own home.

New research from the Bank of Scotland reveals 40 per cent of 18 – 30 year old Scots believe they don’t earn enough to obtain a mortgage, while 44 per cent don’t have the funds for a deposit. With scandalous numbers of young people experiencing homelessness each year the Scottish Council for Single Homeless says the findings highlight the dangers of over reliance on home ownership as the solution to housing need. With fewer young people working and lower wages for those that do, its vital that other housing options are available for young people, says John Dickie, Head of SCSH’s Youth Unit.

"Thisnew research highlights the barriers to home ownership for many young people. As the housing market becomes increasingly dominated by owner occupation, young people are losing out. And for too many the lack of affordable alternatives means homelessness. That’s why we are calling on increased investment in social rented housing and for housing providers to ensure that affordable rented housing is accessible to young people. At the moment we have evidence that young people are actually less likely to be offered good quality local authority or housing association tenancies. They’re being hit by a double whammy of unaffordable home ownership and restrictive allocation policies. What’s needed are local youth housing strategies that create a range of housing options – only then will we see an end to the scandal of youth homelessness.

Notes

1. BMRB Direct carried out the research during May 2001 for Bank of Scotland. 1001 adults aged between 18 and 30 were interviewed.
2. According to Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin HSG/2000/5, of the 45700 households applying to local authorities as homeless, 35% were aged under 25. Furthermore the Executives Rough Sleeper Initiative Interim Evaluation found 42% of RSI service users were under 25.
3. The Youth Unit of Scottish Council for Single Homeless has been established with funding from the Executive to encourage and support the development of Youth Housing Strategies across Scotland .
4. SCSH is the national membership organisation for individuals and organisations working with homeless people.