Housing Emergency progress will stall if crucial Cabinet Secretary role is lost says Shelter Scotland

Shelter Scotland is calling on the new Government to retain the Cabinet Secretary for Housing post as MSPs are set to take their seats in Parliament.

Màiri McAllan was appointed the first Cabinet Secretary for Housing in the history of the Scottish Parliament in 2025, after the Scottish Government declared a housing emergency. The appointment followed the reversal of the £200m cut to the affordable housing budget and led to the publication of the Scottish Government Housing Emergency Action Plan and most recently the creation of the More Homes Agency, all of which the charity’s supporters had been campaigning for in recent years.

Shelter Scotland say the role must continue if the government is serious about tackling the housing emergency.

Shelter Scotland Director Alison Watson said:

“As MSPs gear up for a new Parliament and ministers are appointed, it is vital a dedicated Cabinet Secretary is appointed to give housing a voice around the cabinet table. Progress stalled when housing was a junior role; new things happen when there is a dedicated voice for the housing emergency in Bute House.

“Tackling the housing emergency and ending homelessness must be a top priority for our new MSPs. When children in temporary accommodation are at a record high and social house building has plummeted to record lows, giving housing a voice in Cabinet is vital to give these issues the attention they need. Investing in social housing means investing in people’s health, education and in our communities.

“Our housing system is broken and biased. We know homelessness is caused by the political choice not to build enough social and affordable homes. Who becomes homeless is determined by poverty, race, experiences of care and the justice system. These are the people we see at Shelter Scotland. These are the people who need a voice around John Swinney’s cabinet table. They cannot be an afterthought, and we cannot afford progress to tackle the housing emergency to be put at risk due to a game of political musical chairs.”

ENDS