Sarwar condemns housebuilding rates as he highlights those homeless at Christmas

A record number of Scots will wake up on Christmas Day “without a home to call their own”, Anas Sarwar has said as he criticised plummeting housebuilding numbers under the SNP.

The Scottish Labour leader told John Swinney during First Minister’s Questions on Thursday that rising levels of homelessness are impacting the life chances of young people across the country.

Mr Sarwar cited the release of Scottish Government statistics on Tuesday that showed housebuilding is down at least 10% in Scotland, while affordable housebuilding starts are at their lowest levels in more than a decade.

He asked Mr Swinney if that is a record to be proud of.

He said: “Scotland is in the middle of a housing emergency.

“While all of us here will wake up on Christmas morning to see the joy on our loved ones’ faces, this year a record number of Scots will wake up without a home to call their own.

“Homelessness is at record levels. Ten thousand children are living in temporary accommodation and hundreds will be left to wake up in hostels, refuge centres and B&Bs.”

The First Minister said he accepts there is a housing emergency but insisted his Government has a strong track record on housing under the financial constraints of devaluation.

“We are not building enough houses,” Mr Swinney said. “We have built more houses, more affordable houses, per head of population in Scotland than in other parts of the UK.

“But we are not building enough, which is why the Government has significantly increased the housing budget for the next financial year by over £200 million.”

Mr Swinney said that figure represents a rise of 38% to £768 million, although it comes after his predecessor Humza Yousaf cut the housing budget by £200 million last year.

It comes amid record levels of people staying in temporary housing, with many waiting years for a permanent home.

Mr Sarwar cited an example of a single working mother in Glasgow who was evicted after complaining about mould and leaks in her flat.

He said the woman, identified only as Miriam, was declared homeless and was put into temporary accommodation two years ago, where she has lived since.

He said Miriam’s “heart-breaking story is one of thousands” across the country.

He added: “The facts speak for themselves: 10,000 children in Scotland are in temporary accommodation – a record high – and all the First Minister wants to do is point to other parts of the country instead of looking at his own failure.”

Mr Swinney urged Mr Sarwar to back the Scottish Budget to ensure the spending on housing increases.

He told the Scottish Labour leader: “I’m afraid it’s not good enough for Mr Sarwar to dismiss the points of evidence I am making.

“In a climate of austerity, the Scottish Government has built more houses per head of population than any other part of the UK.

“That is a simple statement of evidence of the commitment we have given to housing.

“This is where we get to the crunch point because what we will find out in a few weeks’ time is whether Mr Sarwar is interested in a solution or if Mr Sarwar is just interested in rhetoric because the Government’s Budget is going to have to be voted for in this Parliament.”