Scottish Government to declare nationwide housing emergency

The Scottish Government is expected to declare a housing emergency in a debate at Holyrood.

Scottish Labour has tabled a motion for a second time to force the declaration, but the breakdown of the Bute House Agreement that saw the Greens in coalition with the SNP in Government leaves the result in doubt.

The move comes after five local authorities – including the two biggest in Scotland, Glasgow and Edinburgh – declared housing emergencies in recent months, while the Scottish Government has cut almost £200 million from the housing budget.

Speaking to the PA news agency ahead of the debate on Wednesday, First Minister John Swinney said his Government “recognises the seriousness” of the housing situation.

“Which is why we’re committing ourselves to the terms of a housing emergency,” he said.

“What we want to do is have a frank debate about the challenges that we face in relation to capital expenditure.”

He said Scotland’s capital budget has fallen by 9% this year compared to last, meaning “we can’t afford as many things that we would have afforded in the past”.

Mr Swinney added: “We want to engage Parliament about some of the most effective ways of tackling the housing emergency as a consequence of working together on these priorities.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Social Justice Secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville told BBC Radio Scotland the Government wants to move away from “defining the problem and on to what we can all do to sort this, to find solutions”.

Such solutions, she said, are not just for the Scottish Government to come up with.

“It’s also about the different levels of government, the UK Government, the Scottish Government, local authorities, working together to not just define and discuss what the problem is but to see what we can do to solve it.”

One of the hallmarks of the early tenure of Mr Swinney is his desire to be frank with Parliament and with voters about the issues facing the country.

Ms Somerville said this is the reason behind the declaration, rather than the fear of losing the first vote of Mr Swinney’s tenure.

“I think it’s very important to reflect on the challenge that the First Minister has given us since John Swinney came into office, he wanted to be frank to the people of Scotland and he wanted to be frank to members across the chamber about what it’s like to work in minority Government,” she said.

“So that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Ms Somerville said she hopes the debate will set the issues facing housing in “context”, including the cut to the country’s capital budget, but she added she hopes there can be an element of cross-party working to find a solution.

She added: “That’s the challenge that I’m putting to the parties in Parliament today – we’ve defined a housing emergency, now let’s get on and work together to tackle this problem.”

In a statement, the Social Justice Secretary called for a commitment from the UK Government and the Labour Party – which is currently riding hight in the polls ahead of a general election expected this year – to reverse the cut to the capital budget.

“As a first step, this will require the current UK Government – and the UK Labour Party – to commit to reversing the almost 9% cut to Scotland’s capital budget, and I am today asking the Scottish Parliament to unite with one voice to demand a change in approach and an end to austerity which has caused untold harm to people across the country,” she said.

Scottish Conservative housing spokesman Miles Briggs said the Scottish Government has been “dragged kicking and screaming” into the declaration.

“The Scottish Conservatives have repeatedly called for a national housing emergency to be declared, but these calls fell on deaf ears until now,” he added.

“SNP ministers have also ignored the calls from charities, as well as five local councils declaring emergencies in their own areas.

“This situation is entirely of the SNP’s making. Shirley-Anne Somerville has typically tried to blame Westminster but the SNP have received a record block grant and it is them who shamefully slashed £200 million from the affordable housing budget.”

The Scottish Greens have already announced plans to table a motion to the Labour amendment which would call for a nationwide system of rent controls to be committed to in the new Housing Bill – which was devised during the party’s time in Government.