Meeting the Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS)

Scottish Executive proposals for improving the quality of life for people in Scotland included establishing a cross tenure Scottish Housing Quality Standard (SHQS). This standard defined what constitutes good quality housing and the Executive set a target date of 2015 by which time all Council housing and Registered Social landlords were expected to have met the SHQS. The standard is based on a number of broad quality criteria.

To meet the SHQS a dwelling must be:

• Compliant with the Tolerable Standard
• Free from serious disrepair
• Energy efficient
• Provided with modern facilities and services, and
• Healthy, safe and secure

Meeting the SHQS by the required date of 2015 was a significant financial challenge.  The introduction of the SHQS post-dates the stock transfer, and like all other housing transfers that pre-dated the SHQS, our original Business Plan and funding arrangements did not make provision for the additional works that were required.

DGHP, part of Wheatley Group, met the SHQS as set out by the Scottish Government prior to the target date; currently we are partway through an extensive programme of investment with major changes and repairs to roofs, windows and render of properties.