Shelter Scotland's response to Scottish Government's annual housing statistics

In response to the Scottish Government's annual housing statistics which shows housing supply has fallen the lowest since 2014-2015, Shelter Scotland has issued the following statement.

Gordon Llewellyn-MacRae, Interim Director at Shelter Scotland said:

“We are simply not building social homes fast enough, nor investing at the scale Scotland’s housing emergency demands. Today’s statistics show an annual drop of 8% in new homes added to Scotland’s housing stock - the lowest level in a decade. A record number of children are trapped in temporary accommodation, a direct result of chronic underinvestment and poor political choices.

“Homelessness is not inevitable, but we cannot promise or blame our way out of the housing emergency; we need to build our way out. If we don’t deliver at least 15,693 social homes needed each year, thousands of families will remain trapped in limbo with their health, wellbeing and chance to thrive impacted.

“Politicians of all stripes need to step up if we want to end homelessness. Any extra capital funding from the Chancellor’s investment plans announced in tomorrow’s UK Budget must be used by Scottish Ministers to deliver more social homes, and the Scottish Government must provide the funding needed to uphold its commitment to end the use of harmful and unsafe temporary accommodation for children in December’s Scottish Budget. While housing is devolved, there are four key things the Chancellor can do in this UK Budget to support Scotland. He can unfreeze Local Housing Allowance to help people keep a roof over their heads. He can scrap the bedroom tax and benefit cap and unlock more investment for Scotland so councils can build the social homes needed.”