Major survey of Scotland`s housing launched

The largest and most comprehensive study of housing stock and
living conditions in Scotland is launched this week.

Undertaken by the Scottish executive, the survey will look at
living conditions in 30,000 properties chosen at random from the
public and private sectors throughout Scotland. The study will
include a survey of physical property characteristics as well as an
interview with householders about the quality of their lives.

The last time such a major study was carried out was five years
ago it was revealed that 25 per cent of Scotland’s properties
suffered from dampness. That resulted in the executive investing
heavily in grants to combat dampness as well as a multi-million
pound programme of installing central heating and double
glazing.

Campaign groups are not satisfied that the government’s
programme has dealt effectively with the dampness problem.
According to Shelter (Scotland): “Scotland still has twice the
amount of winter deaths than the average for other European
countries.”

The results of the survey are expected to be published in the
summer of 2003.