Shelter Scotland has responded to a statement from Finance Secretary, John Swinney and Housing Minister, Alex Neil, on budget plans for housing next year.

Following a meeting today (Thursday), the charity said it welcomed the opportunity to discuss investment in affordable housing but that the case for more money remained as pressing as ever.

In a briefing to MSPs last week, Shelter pointed out that the affordable housing investment budget will fall by £204 million next year (2010-11). The charity had recognised that this was due to money having previously been brought forward and this point was confirmed in the meeting with Mr Swinney and Mr Neil today.

Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, housing and homelessness charity, said: 'Ministers restated that planned expenditure over the three year period 2007-08 to 2010-11 remains at £1.65 billion as stated in the 2007 Spending Review. However, our position is that this was never enough in the first place.

'The overall three-year budget was set way back in 2007 but since then the real housing world has changed and spending must be adapted to respond to pressing needs. There is a unique opportunity just now to buy land when it is cheap and save jobs, which otherwise will be lost. And all at the same time, as meeting the needs of those who are in desperate need of a home.

'This is a draft budget, which is just at the start of a long process. It needs multi-party backing. So I urge all MSPs to redouble efforts to secure more investment in affordable rented homes and make this a Budget for Homes.'