Commitments include minimising rent increases and addressing fuel poverty
Three Glasgow housing associations have signed up to a charter aimed at tackling poverty in some of Scotland’s poorest areas.
The Charter to Challenge Poverty lays out a raft of recommendations for housing providers including a call for more investment in low-cost rented housing, affordable rent setting and help for tenants to become digitally included.
Queens Cross Housing Association, ng Homes and Maryhill Housing – representing 12,5000 socially-rented households in north-west Glasgow - have all now pledged to act on the charter’s commitments in a bid to challenge poverty in the city.
The charter was launched after Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) figures showed the areas covered by the three associations are home to many of the country’s most deprived households.
The impact of poverty on people’s lives, opportunities, education, health and wellbeing is immeasurable
It was developed by Queens Cross chief executive, Shona Stephen, who also sits on Glasgow City Council’s Poverty Leadership Panel.
She said: “By developing the charter our associations will use our collective voice to challenge the idea that poverty is acceptable in a modern Scotland and do what we can to alleviate its impact.
“The national statistics prove what we see and deal with on the ground every day; that the impact of poverty on people’s lives, opportunities, education, health and wellbeing is immeasurable and the stigma can last a lifetime.”
Charter commitments include minimising rent increases, installing efficient heating systems to address fuel poverty, increasing availability to low cost banking and money advice, digital inclusion programmes and campaigning on poverty issues.
Robert Tamburrini, chief executive of ng homes, said: “Because we’re located within the communities we serve, we see exactly what poverty means for local families on a day to day basis. We know it won’t get better by itself.
“That’s why we are so determined to work in partnership with others to highlight what poverty actually means on the ground and develop joint plans to tackle poverty head on.”
Lynn Wassell, chief executive of Maryhill Housing, said the charter showed a commitment from all three associations and the local authority to tackle deprivation in the city.
She added: “Our three organisations all share the same goal. It makes absolute sense to work together to support Glasgow City Council and the people of north-west Glasgow to tackle the impacts of poverty.”
The signing was attended by council leader Frank McAveety, who pledged to support the charter’s aims.
He said: “The council will work with our partners wherever and whenever we can to introduce measures that can reduce poverty and make a real difference to those people affected by it.”
