The SNP have been accused of “slamming the door” in the faces of families who are looking for a permanent home as figures revealed hundreds have been living in temporary accommodation for more than three years.
The Scottish Conservatives have described the lack of social housing as a “national disgrace” after uncovering figures showing 275 Scottish families have been living in temporary accommodation for at least three years.
The stats come form part of a parliamentary response to Scottish Conservative housing spokesman Miles Briggs who urged the SNP Government to build more social housing to prevent families spending years in “grossly insecure” and poor quality accommodation.
The figures also show more than 900 households have been waiting for at least two years for a permanent home while an additional 5,000 have been waiting more than a year.
Briggs said: “These figures are absolutely tragic and illustrate the social housing crisis that has occurred under the SNP Government’s mismanagement.”
“The SNP have shamelessly cut over £250 million from the social housing budget and this alarming situation will only get worse until they sit up and take notice of the desperate situation they have created."
“Despite having 14 years to act, the SNP have slammed the doors in the faces of thousands of families who are pleading for permanent accommodation – it’s a national disgrace.”
The Scottish Government acknowledged the gravity of the situation and said it was urgently contacting local councils on the issue of temporary accommodation.
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “These are concerning statistics. Temporary accommodation can offer an important emergency safety net for anyone who finds themselves homeless, but we recognise that it should be a purely temporary measure, particularly for families with children.”
“We have contacted local authorities to better understand what support might be required to address this issue as a matter of urgency.”
The official added: “For some councils it can take a long time to acquire an appropriate property of the correct size and type for the household’s particular needs, with the required facilities. This can be exacerbated by limited turnover or stock availability, changes to a household’s circumstances, or instances where families need to access other services such as health, justice or social work.
“We are investing £37.5 million to support councils to prioritise settled accommodation for all as part of our vision for a Scotland where everyone has a warm, safe and affordable home. We also have a target of delivering 100,000 more affordable homes by 2032, with at least 70 per cent for social rent.”
