Scotland should spend more on building houses, says Nicola Sturgeon

Scotland must spend more on housing supply, the country’s former first minister has said.

Nicola Sturgeon – who left office in 2023 after nine years in the top job – said her comments were not meant as a criticism of her successors in Government.

Her statement comes after more than a dozen councils and the Scottish Parliament declared a housing emergency amid record levels of homelessness applications.

Official figures released last month showed there were 17,424 households assessed as being either homeless or threatened with homelessness in the six-month period from April 1 to September 30, 2024.

The Scottish Government data also revealed that as of September 30, there were a record 16,634 households living in temporary accommodation – including 10,360 children.

Speaking at the Scottish Housing Festival in Edinburgh, the former first minister was questioned by Alison Watson, the chief executive of leading homelessness charity Shelter Scotland, about what could be done to tackle the issue.

“We live in such a challenging time right now, in every aspect,” Ms Sturgeon said.

“Financially for the Scottish Government, there are no easy options, the money is fixed, largely, (and) everybody wants to make a bigger call on it, so these decisions are horrendously difficult.

“What I will say is… good housing underpins almost every other objective a Government will have, so it’s got to be a priority.”

Ms Sturgeon added: “We do need to invest in greater supply.”

One of her proudest achievements in power, she told the event, was the abolition of the right to buy scheme in Scotland, which she said stopped the “drain on supply” of council homes.

While she acknowledged that increasing supply “takes investment”, Ms Sturgeon went on to urge the housing sector to be “innovative and fresh thinking”.

The former first minister’s comments come as a former Scotland rugby captain pledged to display the “drive and determination” he had on the pitch towards tackling the housing crisis.

Kelly Brown, who won 64 caps for Scotland and took to the field for both Glasgow Warriors and Saracens, has been appointed as the director of Places for People Scotland (PfPS) – a charitable housing association which owns and manages more than 9,000 homes across the country.

Mr Brown, who joined PfPS in 2023 after quitting his coaching role with London club Saracens, said he was “honoured” to be taking over the job from Katie Smart.

Mr Brown, who retired from playing in 2017, said: “The feeling I got representing my country is something I never thought I’d replicate but working to tackle the housing crisis gives me the same drive and determination as I had then.

“As well as working hard to provide the right homes, in the right places, I will be a strong voice to fight for social housing customers across Scotland.”

The former rugby captain stated: “In Scotland alone, there are 253,000 people waiting for a social home, with 90,000 of those being children.

“Scottish Government and 13 of Scotland’s councils have all declared a housing emergency – and the time for action is now.”

He added: “PfPS continues to play a big role in building more of the desperately needed homes across Scotland, with 2,500 expected over the next five years.

“Beyond bricks and mortar, however, there are also so many challenges social housing customers face every day such as financial issues, health and wellbeing, access to employment and training, and so much more.

“As well as building the quality affordable homes Scotland desperately needs, to tackle the housing crisis we also must ensure those at the centre of it have the additional support they need and that’s a big part of what we do at PfPS. We look beyond the homes we manage and put people at the centre of what we do.”

Ms Smart is moving to the role of director of customer excellence at the Places for People group.

Greg Reed, PfP group chief executive officer, thanked her for the “great job she has done over the last two years in our communities across Scotland”.

He added: “I’m delighted to be welcoming Kelly into this really important role, focusing on ensuring our customers in Scotland have the home they deserve.

“Kelly embodies our ethos of doing the right thing always and his passion and drive to make a difference across our communities make him a huge asset and the perfect fit to lead our work in Scotland.”