The Scottish National Party has achieved what was hitherto deemed impossible north of the border – an overall majority in parliament in a system designed to give no party an overall majority.
It is now received wisdom that the SNP secured that astonishing result by best articulating a forward-looking and aspirational vision of Scotland. It is a vision that is heavily laden with images of Scotland's future, of young people choosing to stay and prosper in a country which in earlier decades has seen many of its young leave.
But new research for Shelter Scotland poses a real challenge for the new government if it is to overcome the fears that young people have about housing prospects if it is to meet their aspirations.
The research, conducted during April and May by TNS-BRMB, showed that the majority (61%) of people aged 18-34 feared that housing difficulties were going to increase for their age group during this parliament. Only 11% believed things were going to get better.
The survey also showed that many young people recognised that their ideal choice – home ownership – was unlikely to be realised, with more than 40% expecting to be renting from a social or private landlord in four years' time, and a further 6% per cent expecting to be living with parents.
It's a bleak snapshot of housing as seen through the eyes of young Scots and sends a warning to Scotland's politicians about lack of ambition in meeting housing needs.
Yet challenges are also opportunities. In policy terms the election result means that Alex Salmond's government has an unrivalled opportunity to implement its manifesto in full, while the junior minister for housing, Keith Brown, comes with a reputation for knocking heads together.
The Scottish government's flagship manifesto commitment is to build 6,000 socially rented homes a year. That means 24,000 new socially rented homes between 2012-13 and 2015-16, including 5,000 council homes. This is to be applauded as it will require some significant re-thinking on capital investment priorities.
But housing professionals are not simply passive vehicles for Scottish government policy. There is already a challenge that the housing sector is rising to. In barely 18 months the internationally acclaimed commitment to end homelessness in Scotland should be met. Some councils are already housing all homeless people; others have further to go. Many landlords are addressing the need to assess and help people into appropriate housing by extending choice beyond simply a social let – that looks likely to expand in the coming years.
In the private sector, Scotland's unique approach to comprehensive landlord registration needs to deliver on its promises to weed out the worst operators, while ensuring that tenants are treated as empowered consumers to drive up standards and increasing competition.
And all of this in the face of a shrinking public sector. Some well-known figures in Scottish housing are likely to head off into the sunset in the next few years. Are they going to be replaced by players of equal or greater talent?
The Scottish government may be on the cusp of an ambitious programme. Scotland's housing sector expects no less. More importantly, Scotland's young people deserve no less.
Gavin Corbett is policy manager at Shelter Scotland
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