Sarwar: Scottish Government has failed to tackle housing emergency

The Scottish Government has “failed” to tackle the country’s housing emergency, Scottish Labour has said.

Ministers were forced to declare the emergency earlier this year as a result of increased pressure on the housing supply and high rates of homelessness.

Since, the number of people making a homelessness application has hit record levels and more than 10,000 children were recorded as living in temporary accommodation last year.

Using Scottish Labour debating time in Holyrood, Anas Sarwar hit out at the Government’s record on housing.

A motion claiming the Government had “failed to respond adequately to the housing emergency” fell by 60 votes to 54 with eight abstentions.

“We have a chance today to put the needs of the people of Scotland front and centre, to stand up for all those who find themselves without a home to call their own and to stand up for all those for whom the dream of home ownership is currently just that – a dream,” Mr Sarwar said.

“This Government has failed to tackle the housing emergency – this is not good enough.

“The failure must end – Scotland deserves better.

“Under this SNP Government, fewer homes being built, targets missed on a yearly basis and homelessness on the rise.

“Every number a human being in need of help and every missed target the breaking of dreams, of hopes and aspirations.”

But responding, housing minister Paul McLennan said Mr Sarwar “did not talk about any ideas whatsoever” to fix the crisis as he invited the Scottish Labour leader to propose initiatives ahead of the Budget to be announced in December.

“This Government understands the urgency of this crisis and we are using all our powers to address it,” he said.

“But it should be acknowledged Westminster’s policies have left us grappling with an emergency that requires systemic change and investment at UK-wide level.

“I once again call on the Labour UK Government to use its upcoming budget to scrap the bedroom tax, reverse the 9% capital cut to Scotland’s budget and permanently uplift the local housing allowance.”

Scottish Tory MSP Miles Briggs said homelessness had got worse under the SNP.

He said a cross-party agreement to end rough sleeping by the end of the parliament “seems further away than ever”.

Mr Briggs told the housing minister: “On Monday evening I walked along Princes Street here in the capital and witnessed people setting up tents for the night in shop doorways.

“I know as a Lothian MSP trying to assist constituents and from the organisations working with people experiencing homelessness the situation is getting worse but solutions are more limited as well.

“Where I live in Edinburgh I’ve witnessed people setting up tents in graveyards.”

He warned that without immediate action homelessness in Scotland will get worse and said ministers should admit they have “failed”.

Mr Briggs added: “We simply cannot continue like this. We need leadership and a fresh approach.”

Green MSP Ariane Burgess said it was not enough for the Scottish Government to call a housing emergency.

She said in the chamber: “It’s clear that at the root of the housing emergency in this country is the financialisation of our housing market.

“For too long our economy has prioritised (it) as an investment to make money from rather than homes for people and the bedrocks of our community.

“Calling a housing emergency without proposing any changes to how we tax housing or how we fund public house building is disingenuous and plays politics with people’s lives.”

Scottish Liberal Democrat MSP Willie Rennie said that despite calling a housing emergency the crisis had got worse, with figures last week showing the number of children in temporary accommodation at record highs.

He told Mr McLennan: “I hope no homeless people were watching the minister’s contribution earlier on because, and I know he’s not listening, but he should listen to people who are homeless and people who are desperate for a house because his contribution earlier on was just one excuse after another.

“It was another explanation of why other people are to blame for this, even though his party has been in power for 17 years.”

The North East Fife MSP said he had never seen the situation in housing so bad, describing it as “heartbreaking”.

He said the Scottish Government’s record on housing was “embarrassing”.