Housing and homelessness charity Shelter Scotland supported a call for 10,000 social homes a year, which came as the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations today (Monday) launched its new campaign.

The charity said that without a substantial hike in public investment and renewed political commitment to social housing, Scotland was sitting on a “housing time bomb”.

Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: “A home for everyone is the benchmark of a decent, modern society.  Yet in Scotland hundreds of thousands of people are currently either stuck in temporary accommodation or on a waiting list. Couple this with a deepening repossession crisis which will undoubtedly add pressure to an already strained social sector, and it’s clear Scotland’s social housing system is sitting on a time bomb.

“Shelter Scotland has made a detailed case for a programme of 10,000 homes for two years now and on both sides of the border we are saying to Government that there has never been a better time to be bold about major housing commitment. We hope the SFHA’s new campaign will put added pressure on politicians to invest in housing.”

1. For more information about the Scottish Federation of Housing Association’s campaign launch, contact Claire Munro, Press and Public Affairs Officer, on 07771 926 778. www.sfha.co.uk
2. For more information about Shelter Scotland visit, www.shelter.org.uk, or phone the media office on 0844 515 2442 (connects to out of hours).