This was in the Scotsman.

LOSS of one's home often comes at the time of other traumatic life events: redundancy or relationship breakdown. In those situations, the stability of a home is even more important. Loss of a cherished family home is more than just loss of a roof.
That is why the Scottish Government was right to move quickly to strengthen the safety net for homeowners at risk of repossession by lenders. Shelter was an active member of the government's repossessions working group, which published its report thi
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s week.

At the heart of the report are recommendations to strengthen legal protection for homeowners. All cases where the lender wishes to oust a homeowner will have to go before a Sheriff Court and the sheriff will need to be satisfied that all other options have been exhausted. But that is not all that is needed.

Firstly, we need to make sure people don't get into difficulty in the first place. Better advice at early points, such as when redundancy notices are issued, would help. Easier to read documents from lenders and the courts should replace the current legalese.

Secondly, if and when the problem accelerates, we need to be sure that all other options have been explored. Is state help available? Can the lender renegotiate the loan?

Thirdly, when it is clear that paying the mortgage is not viable, can the family stay in the home under either a Mortgage to Rent or Mortgage to Shared Equity arrangement? This involves a housing association or council buying up part, or all, of the home and so reducing the burden on the household.

Finally, when it is clear that a family cannot remain in the home, we need to ensure that alternatives such as rented accommodation can be set up.

This leads to a more fundamental observation. Over the last 30 years, we have put all our eggs in the home ownership basket. If that turns out to be the wrong choice in a recession, is it not time to rethink the balance of housing policy?

• Graeme Brown is director of Shelter Scotland. Free advice is available at www.shelter.org.uk/getadvice or on 0808 800 4444.