Cross-party group calls for immediate action to tackle Scotland’s housing emergency

The Cross-Party Group met this week to discuss why local authorities have declared housing emergencies and what needs to be done to address the issues.

Fergus Murray, head of development and economic growth at Argyll and Bute Council, said: “Argyll and Bute Council was the first council in Scotland to declare a housing emergency.

“Addressing the lack of affordable housing is a top priority for our communities and for the longer-term future of the area – a home is key in encouraging local people to stay in the area, and in attracting others to move here. Our focus is on turning words into action by taking various steps as a council, and by working with partners to make a meaningful
improvement to Argyll and Bute’s housing supply.”

Councillor Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “There are enormous pressures on housing in Edinburgh right now. We’re a growing city and we face challenges like nowhere else in Scotland, with the lowest proportion of social housing and the largest, most expensive, private rented sector.

“It has been seven and a half months since we declared Edinburgh’s housing emergency and in that time our funding from the Scottish Government has been slashed and homelessness has risen. However, I welcome their decision to follow our lead and declare a housing emergency on a Scotland-wide scale. Hopefully this decision signals a rethink on a better housing system that works for everyone. Having a safe, comfortable home is a basic human right so we’re determined to do everything within our means to put an end to this housing emergency.

“Our recently approved Action Plan, including a 7% rent rise which will allow us to repair, upgrade, and retrofit housing and to build and buy much needed social and affordable housing, can go a long way in tackling the crisis. However, the reality is that we can only act within the financial limitations of being the lowest funded local authority in Scotland.”

Councillor Allan Casey, city convener for Workforce, Homelessness and Addiction Services at Glasgow City Council, said: “The city is facing unprecedented levels of demand for emergency accommodation. This is largely driven by the UK Government’s decision to accelerate the asylum decision process, with significant numbers of people travelling to Glasgow from across Scotland but also from Northern Ireland and England. 

“We declared a housing emergency last year due to the cumulative impact these pressures are having on the city and in our ability to provide suitable accommodation to the thousands of households presenting as homeless.

“There is no council housing in Glasgow and we rely on Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) who have high demands in terms of housing need to meet, as well as in relation to homelessness.

“We work well with these RSLs and they are committed to providing us with accommodation but currently demand outstrips availability which means people are spending longer in emergency and temporary accommodation than any of us would want.

“We continue to engage with the UK and Scottish Governments as we seek assistance to deal with the increased demand.”

West Lothian Council’s head of Housing, Customer and Building Services, Julie Whitelaw, said: “The imbalance between supply and demand for permanent social rented accommodation continues to be a significant challenge in West Lothian. There is simply not enough affordable housing to meet the needs of local people, with demand outstripping supply by around ten to one.

“Our housing staff carry out an amazing job of preventing homelessness. However, our ability to help everyone is very limited. It is a continual challenge to ensure that we help those most in need and meet our statutory duties.

“By declaring a Housing Emergency, we aim to acknowledge the scale of the issue in West Lothian and appeal for the additional support we need to try and tackle these issues.”

In its February Budget, the Scottish Government approved a cut to the Affordable Housing Supply Programme of 26% for 2024-25, amounting to £196m less than in 2023-24. This cut came at a time when new starts in the social and affordable sector were already the lowest since 1988.

It was suggested at the Cross-party Group meeting that, as things stand, some councils would have no new social housing programme this year, and at least three of the councils in attendance stated that they cannot currently meet their statutory obligations for homelessness.

Dr Gareth James, research and knowledge exchange fellow at the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), said: “Declaring a Housing Emergency is one thing. Now we need to see action and a plan for tackling our housing problems. Such a plan should have a clear set of priorities. More social housing and more resource, capacity and solutions for dealing with rising homelessness and temporary accommodation must be part of the answer.

“Tackling our housing problems will involve hard political choices and reallocating some funding. If it is to deal with these problems effectively, the Scottish Government will also need to work more closely on substantive issues with local government as they are the key delivery agent.”

Graham Simpson MSP said: “On 15 May the Scottish Government accepted that there is a housing emergency in Scotland. We now need to see what they’re going to do about it.

“It was great to hear from a variety of councils yesterday evening – each with their own reasons for declaring an emergency and suggestions for how we might start to tackle this very serious problem.

“The Scottish Government needs to produce an action plan as a matter of urgency. The Cross-party Group will be writing to Paul McLennan and inviting him to our next meeting in September to address these points. We look forward to an update about what work has been done in the intervening months.”