Scottish Housing in a European Perspective

Abstract

As an issue of concern, the state of housing in Scotland has been high on the political agenda for as long as anyone can remember, and certainly for all of this century. No doubt housing is always a matter of political importance in any European country. But there are aspects of the Scottish housing situation which distinguish it not only from countries in continental Europe, but within the UK as well, and have made the issue one of particular concern. The purpose of this paper is to explain some of these differences and to consider, in the light of experience in other countries, how policy might be changed.