This is a Housing SOS

Over 10,000 campaigners signed our open letter telling the Scottish Government to declare a housing emergency and put an action plan in place to end it. Thanks to our collective voice, they did just that.

Why a housing emergency declaration matters

Social housing has gone, leaving homes too expensive to pay for or too cramped for our needs. We’re competing for the same few properties or being moved miles away from home. Homes are being built but they aren’t affordable for everyone.

Tenants, owners, students, and citizens – we are in this housing emergency together.

We’ve had enough. Enough of living in ‘crappy’ housing. Enough of hearing horror stories from our family and friends. Enough of developers and landlords laughing all the way to the bank while we struggle to pay sky-high rents and spend years waiting for a social home.

Politicians want us to just accept this. But how can we accept 45 children becoming homeless every day?

Tens of thousands of campaigners made sure those in power couldn’t ignore this housing emergency any longer. On 15 May 2024 the Scottish Government declared a housing emergency – a huge WIN for every person who fights for a place to call home.

Change is possible

Declaring a housing emergency is just the first step. It shows our politicians are signalling that they understand the scale of the problem, and that they're serious about fixing this chaos. It's a commitment to take real action, and alongside campaigners, we will hold them to it.

And it couldn’t be more important. The broken and biased housing system traps us all, from families unable to find a home big enough, to fed-up renters settling for unfit conditions. People at the sharp end of the emergency pay the highest price for the broken system, with minoritised ethnic groups and people with disabilities more likely to be homeless.

Home is not only a fundamental human need, it’s a basic human right. Together, we can continue to show just how many of us refuse to stand by while those in power let this horror continue.