Housing emergency declared by Scottish Borders Council

The move comes after a report to Scottish Borders Council’s executive committee earlier this month revealed that temporary housing in the region is at an all-time high and plans to build 184 affordable homes over the next year are unlikely to be achieved.

The local authority also heard that the number of applications for social housing properties has doubled in five years – with Scottish Borders Housing Association receiving 104 bids for just five new homes at its latest development in Kelso.

Tweeddale East councillor Julie Pirone, who supported the declaration, said: “I believe quite strongly that we are in a housing emergency.

“Everyday I get calls from people who cannot get on the housing ladder who are young. I get calls from people who are in overcrowded accommodation that can’t get moved and they want to be able to stay here and they want to have good housing.

“We need to make sure we have more innovation in the housing market and to ask our governments, both of them, to support what we do.

“We also have to think about those that are homeless and the refugees and the Ukrainians who also really love our region and want to stay, but who we are struggling to find homes for too.”

Councillor Stuart Marshall added: “Never in 17 years of representing the ward of Hawick and Denholm can I think of receiving so many desperate pleas from parents and guardians regarding not only their desperate situation to get out of their property and into another one because of over-crowding, but just because of the appalling condition of their properties as well.

“I deal with issues every single day with registered social landlords and private landlords regarding over-crowding, ageing windows, faulty heating, failed heating systems.

“These are all exacerbating the problems that we have got.”

Members unanimously agreed to the declaration of a housing emergency.

Councillors were told that by formally declaring an emergency they could “send a clear message” that action was required.

Scottish Borders Council is now the sixth local authority in Scotland to declare a housing emergency with Argyll and Bute, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fife and West Dunbartonshire making similar declarations within the past year.