<h2>Hi</h2>

Housing Bill passed

5 Nov 2010 12:45 PM

MSPs recently passed a new law that will ditch the right to buy (RTB) for new council house and housing association tenants.

The right to buy will also be abolished for all new homes built in the social sector.

It is expected that up to 18,000 homes would be kept in the social rented sector over the next 10 years, rather than being sold to tenants.

The creation of a new Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR), and the introduction of a charter for social housing, aims to improve value for tenants and taxpayers by assessing landlords' performance.

Around one in four Scottish households, about 600,000 homes, are in the social rented sector.

Housing and Communities Minister Alex Neil said:

"This is a truly historic day for social housing in Scotland.

"By passing the Housing Bill, the Scottish Parliament has ensured that social housing is protected for future generations - providing homes for the people, and jobs in the Scottish economy."

Plans for a Housing Bill were announced in January.