Labour calls for statement on housing emergency

Scottish Labour has called for a ministerial statement on the housing emergency, just over a year since it was declared.

The Scottish Parliament voted to declare the emergency last year, following in the footsteps of a number of councils after record homelessness figures.

But Labour has criticised the Scottish Government’s handling of the issue after figures released in March showed the amount of children in temporary accommodation increased further.

It is understood there are plans for a statement in Holyrood this week, subject to the agreement of MSPs.

Labour’s housing spokesman Mark Griffin has pushed for housing minister Paul McLennan to appear before MSPs in Holyrood to lay out what the Government has done to tackle the issue and face questions from members.

The minister, Griffin claimed, has “sat on his hands”.

“It’s been one year since a national housing emergency was declared in Scotland, but things are getting worse instead of better on the SNP’s watch,” he said.

“The truth is the housing minister declared a housing emergency then sat on his hands while it deepened.

“Time and time again the SNP has opted for empty rhetoric in place of meaningful action, and it is destroying trust in politics.

“The minister owes it to the people suffering the consequences of his government’s housing emergency to take accountability and answer questions on this important issue.”

McLennan said: “We are determined to tackle the housing emergency and ensure that everyone in Scotland can have somewhere to call home. We have a strong track record in delivering affordable homes with 136,000 affordable homes delivered, with 97,000 of those for social rent, between 2007 and the end of December 2024. That’s 47% more per head of population than England and 73% more than Wales as of March 2024.

“We are investing £768 million in affordable housing this year, including £40m targeted to the local authorities with sustained temporary accommodation pressures. We are determined to deliver 110,000 affordable homes across Scotland by 2032, with at least 70% for social rent.

“We have also announced a long-term commitment of £100m for mid-market rent – and with institutional investment we will grow that fund to at least £500m to support the construction of around 2,800 mid-market rent homes. This is a long-term commitment over several years to make public funds go further and will form part of the affordable housing supply programme.”