THE SNP Scottish government’s response to the housing emergency is marked by “delusion” that shows it is “completely out of touch,” according to Scottish Labour today.
Scottish Labour led a debate in Holyrood in the wake of latest statistic showing a record 10,110 children and 33,619 households languishing in temporary accommodation last year.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar told MSPs: “Yesterday Paul McLennan [housing minister] claimed the SNP government was ‘pulling out all the stops’ on this issue.
“The same SNP government that cut £196 million from the housing budget, cheered on by every member on their benches.
“It is simply incredible for him to try to spin this away, or as per usual not think about the human cost of these decisions.
“Fellow Scots sleeping rough with nowhere to go, families in temporary housing and more and more in hostels and B&Bs, is symptomatic of an SNP government that is completely out of touch with reality.
“This is a government that never faces up to its record and instead tries to deflect blame to others.
“When Scotland is regarded to be in a housing and homelessness emergency, the minister says ‘we have a good track record.’
“When we have alcohol and drugs deaths on the rise what does the minister say? ‘Nothing to see here, we have a good track record and the plan is working.’
“We need an end to the politics of press release and meaningless targets.
“A politics of delivery, not delusion.”
Moving an amendment praising his government’s actions, SNP Mr McLennan said: “I continue to take full responsibility for the government response, and I’ll not shy away from that.”
He blamed Brexit and inflation for the 25 per cent collapse of housing association new builds and 18 per cent drop across all sectors.
Mr McLennan added: “I call on the UK government to use its up-and-coming Budget to scrap the bedroom tax, reverse the 9 per cent capital cut to Scotland’s budget and permanently increase the local housing allowance.”
Turning to the “root” causes of the crisis, Scottish Greens’ Ariane Burgess argued: “It is clear that the root of the housing emergency is in the financialisation of the housing market.
“For too long our economy has prioritised housing as an investment to make money from rather than homes for people and as the bedrock of our communities.”
The motion, amended by the SNP, was carried by 59 votes to 55, with 8 abstentions.
