The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 enhances the strategic planning role of local authorities by giving them new powers and duties to determine housing need in their areas and to develop strategies to meet that need. Development funding to assist with the provision of affordable housing will continue to be available in Edinburgh, as elsewhere, and the Act provides that responsibility for this funding may pass to local authorities to underpin their strategic planning role.From a land use planning perspective, National Planning Policy Guideline (NPPG) 3: Land for Housing notes that planning authorities may properly take account of the need for affordable housing when formulating their development plan policies.