Scottish Labour is not really happy with the progress made on the housing emergency, and they want a ministerial statement ASAP. They are accusing those SNP ministers of not really doing much about the crisis, even a whole year after the Scottish Parliament officially recognized it.
MSPs decided back in May 2024 to declare a national housing emergency. This was right after councils all over the place were doing the same thing because of the crazy increase in homelessness and the serious lack of affordable housing. Although this declaration didn’t come with any new legal powers or money, it was seen as a way to show everyone how big the problem really is.
The then housing minister, Paul McLennan, said the move was supposed to show how tough the situation was and that the Government was totally committed to fixing things. But the Labour folks are saying not much has changed since then – and in some areas, it’s actually gotten worse.
So, as of September 30 last year, official figures show that about 16,634 households were stuck in temporary accommodation, with a whopping 10,360 kids in the mix – the highest numbers ever recorded. Even though the Scottish Government promised £3.5 billion for affordable housing during this parliamentary term, the number of completed homes has dropped a bunch, with the number of new homes started by construction companies falling by 9 per cent in 2024.
The Scottish Housing Regulator is saying that a lot of councils are struggling to do their legal duties because they just don’t have the resources. Some of them are keeping families in temporary housing for way longer than they’re supposed to, breaking the law and all that. Mark Griffin from Labour is speaking up, saying that the housing minister should come back to Holyrood, update everyone, and face the music. He thinks the SNP is full of hot air and not really making any real progress, which is making people lose faith in politics.
Sir Tom Hunter is also chiming in, saying the Scottish Government needs to cut out the red tape so more houses can get built and ease the demand. He’s all about “build, baby, build” to tackle the housing crisis. He thinks the Government’s housing policy is too confusing for developers to figure out, so they’re holding onto their cash instead of investing in Scotland.
In response to the cost of living mess, the ministers put a freeze on rent hikes and evictions, but that didn’t last. Now they have a cap on rent hikes at 6 per cent. But those protections are gone now, and the Scottish Government is trying to push through a new Housing (Scotland) Bill that would let local councils set up rent control zones to keep increases low.
Shirley-Anne Somerville, the Social Justice Secretary, is saying there’s no one quick fix for the housing emergency. She’s talking about how there are tons of homes in Scotland with planning permission that aren’t getting built. The Government is stepping in to help move things along, but she’s also saying the private sector needs to do its part. She thinks there’s been some progress, but there’s still a long way to go.
McLennan is pushing back against Labour’s demands for a statement, saying they’re totally committed to fixing the housing mess. They’ve already delivered lots of affordable homes and have big plans to keep going. They want to make sure everyone in Scotland has a place to call home, and they’re investing big bucks to make it happen.
