Housing charity Shelter Scotland is today (Tuesday) calling on Scottish Ministers to make the upcoming Scottish budget a 'Budget for Homes' by investing an extra £200 million a year in new affordable homes to rent.

The charity is calling on Cabinet Secretary for Finance John Swinney to make homelessness and bad housing his top priority and have calculated that an extra £200 million a year - or 0.6 per cent of the Scottish budget - would help Scotland build 10,000 affordable homes to rent each year for the next three years.

The call is contained in the charity's new report, Building Solutions, [1] which is being submitted to the Finance Secretary as he prepares for the Scottish budget next month, and follows its recent report which revealed that the number of social homes in Scotland is at a 50-year low. [2]

Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, housing charity, said: 'The Scottish Government has the chance to build a legacy of homes for the people of Scotland, build our way out of a recession and build on our reputation as the leading nation in Europe tackling homelessness. [3] The 2010 Budget must be the 'Budget for Homes'.

'Despite recent Government announcements about record numbers of homes, with thousands still lost to right to buy and the numbers in need of a home still growing, we are just treading water. We cannot hide from the fact that we must build more houses.

'£200 million extra is equivalent to only 0.6 per cent of the Scottish Budget and would not only help build 10,000 new homes for people on waiting lists but revitalise communities and provide a much needed boost to the Scottish construction industry.

'In the history of the Scottish Parliament there has never been a more pressing need for investment in affordable homes to rent. This budget will determine how Scotland delivers its historic commitment to end homelessness by 2012. With the eyes of the world upon us we cannot afford to fail.'

The budget submission and tour of Scotland are part of Shelter Scotland's campaign, Countdown to 2012, which is building support for more homes for Scotland. Events have been held in Blairgowrie, East Lothian, Shetland, and Inverurie, with planned visits to Glasgow and East Kilbride. The campaign also features online and on social networking sites [5], where people can sign up and put pressure on politicians to build more homes.

Notes to editors

1. Budgeted spending for 2009/10 on affordable rented housing was £450million. The total needed to build 10,000 affordable rented homes a year is £650 million. To see the report, visit http://scotland.shelter.org.uk/media/countdown
2. In July, this year the charity published, Building Pressure, which showed that the number of people stuck in temporary accommodation has risen by 135 per cent between 2001 and 2008. There are at least 17,000 people (including 7,000 children) in temporary housing – almost enough to fill Tynecastle Stadium in Edinburgh. In addition, house waiting lists have risen by 15 per cent since 2000. There are currently 142,000 households on council waiting lists: enough to form a queue from Edinburgh to Glasgow and back again. Visit http://scotland.shelter.org.uk/media/countdown
3. The 2012 homelessness target will give all unintentionally homeless people the right to a permanent home, under Scottish legislation. Currently, only people designated to be in ‘priority need’ – generally families with children – have the right to permanent homes. All others have access to only temporary accommodation and support. By 2012, there will be no distinction and everyone will have the right to a home. http://scotland.shelter.org.uk/what_you_can_do/campaigning/the_2012_target
4. The 10,000 affordable rented homes programme is supported by other housing bodies in Scotland and based on Scottish Executive commissioned research by Professor Glen Bramley and colleague at Heriot Watt University.
5. Follow Shelter Scotland on Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shelter-Scotland/101558386889; Twitter – http://twitter.com/shelterscotland; Bebo - http://www.bebo.com/shelterscot. Or pick up a Twibbon at http://twibbon.com/join/ShelterScotland
6. Spokespeople are available for interview, telephone the media office on 0844 515 2442. An ISDN line number is available for broadcast interviews.