Devolution and the health of Scottish housing policy

This chapter assesses devolution and the Scottish housing policy. Home and housing represent a key sphere in which local authorities can contribute to the health and wellbeing of their residents, including the most marginalised groups in society. Prior to devolution, Scotland had some policy autonomy and Scots Law has long been distinct from the rest of the United Kingdom (UK). Nonetheless, devolution represented a step change in the capacity of the Scottish policy community to shape its own destiny. The chapter reviews key developments in housing policy under the devolved administrations led first by the Labour/Liberal Democrat coalition and then by the Scottish National Party. Implementation of housing policy remains heavily dependent on local authorities and their partners. The chapter then presents evidence from three examples of local housing as a social determinant of health in Scotland: the core benefits of moving from precarious to settled housing; meeting the housing needs of disabled people; and housing-led community regeneration.