Established by SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon MSP in September 2019, the Commission comprises both SNP members and independent contributors.

Its final report is described as a blueprint to a more socially just Scotland that focuses on decisions should be made, with illustrative proposals for policy choices that can help build a wellbeing society. It considers opportunities in the short term and what is achievable with the powers of devolution, though with a larger focus on how much can be achieved with independence.

The housing section provides a contextual overview of the factors that influence the possibilities and limitations of housing provision before outlining key themes of policy development approaches that will influence its direction of travel.

While acknowledging that its aspirations for housing in Scotland share much in common with the Scottish Government’s Housing to 2040 vision, the Commission said the report is a strong foundation upon which to build its proposals.

Its exploration of Scottish housing policy and practice context has informed recommendations for five key policy proposal areas.

1. Develop modernised aims of housing policy: a decent home for everyone at a price within their means that meets minimum energy efficiency, space and accessibility standards
2. Seek to move owner-occupation back towards a means to manage housing costs over the life cycle, and away from expectations of asset appreciation
3. Use the expanded social rented sector to set standards across the housing system
4. Retain and reform housing allowances as poverty falls
5. Modernise existing stock

The report describes Scotland’s planning system as largely reactive, relying on regulating the behaviour of developers through indicative, non-binding plans and case-by-case negotiation of development applications.

It said: “With development understood to generate wealth, jobs and socially necessary construction – and therefore to be in the public interest – government policy has reinforced a default ‘presumption in favour of development’. Planning decisions are reduced to a zero-sum game with these projected ‘benefits’, however speculative, traded against ‘costs’, where the only alternative is often to reject proposals.”

To enable a more positive approach to planning in order to realise its potential for significant contributions to social justice, the Commission’s planning recommendations include:

1. Create a social justice purpose for planning
2. Prioritise pro-social development
3. Integrate participatory planning for community empowerment
4. Maximise and redistribute planning gain and community benefits

On the issue of land, the Commission said: “Reviewing the legacy of house building in towns, devolution seemed to offer the chance to break free from the dominance of Thatcherite private housing markets. That has proved elusiveas the huge imbalance of house building still relies on private sector speculative building.”

It has therefore developed six land policy proposals, greatly informed by the work of the Scottish Land Commission, which include:

1. Reform land and property taxation, moving away from regressive taxes
2. Invest in vacant and derelict land
3. Reform the model of land release and housing supply by moving to a nationally underpinned system of land purchase and land preparation
4. Establish transparency of land ownership
5. Encourage diversity in land ownership, particularly with regards to community ownership
6. Establish a Housing Land Corporation (HLC)

Committee convener Shona Robison MSP and depute convener Neil Gray said the Commission has “merely scratched the surface” on the potential that exists to develop policy that delivers its shared ambitions.

They added: “We have made a start, but now there is a need to delve deeply, to develop detail for practical implementation, and to build consensus. In so doing we will be even more ready to hit the ground running upon independence. To that end, we would strongly recommend the establishment of a permanent Commission or body to build on and develop our work.”