With the local elections just a few weeks away, and housing a top priority, CIH has produced a ‘Getting a Handle on Housing’ door hanger which members can display on their front door, and which encourages them to ask five key questions of prospective candidates.

The questions include a range of issues, including how candidates will deliver new homes, address homelessness and meet the specific housing and care needs of older people. They also cover the impact welfare reform will have on the local community and how highly each candidate rates housing as a priority.

CIH Scotland executive director, Annie Mauger, said: “There is a mounting body of evidence that shows how good housing and strong communities can have a positive impact on people’s health, wellbeing and life chances. Despite this recognition, there are still challenges that need to be addressed, and we want our members to challenge local authority candidates on their priorities before voting for them.

“As a member organisation, we know that more housing needs to be built to meet basic needs, that our population is getting older, and more needs to be done to support people to live well as they age. We also know that last year over 28,000 households were assessed as homeless, and that welfare reform measures are causing significant hardship for some of our most vulnerable citizens.

“These local authority elections are an excellent opportunity to bring these key issues to the table and understand how different parties aim to address them going forward. CIH members are on the front line of these housing issues and we want to support them to make their votes count.”