We need to talk about housing - Foysol Choudhury
I am reiterating my plea yet again this festive season that we must ensure that the support offered to those facing homelessness or housing instability is sufficient, safe and suitable.
I am often inundated with casework where my constituents are stuck in poor quality temporary housing, on seemingly never-ending waiting lists for accommodation or stuck in unsafe housing with conditions such as damp and black mould.
Advertisement
Hide AdAdvertisement
Hide AdThere could be almost 30,000 people facing homelessness this year, yet budget plans will see a real-terms cut in homelessness prevention funding for local authorities of £500,000.
In 2024, we must refocus on the importance of funding our local authorities so that they have the capacity to build more social housing, in addition to making improvements and upgrades to existing housing stock such as retrofitting, which could help improve conditions such as damp and ensure housing is suitable and healthy for tenants.
Nobody in Scotland should be forced into homelessness or have to endure seemingly endless waiting in unsuitable housing.
I am imploring the Scottish Government to ensure fair funding for local authorities so that they can invest what is needed in our social housing sector. Let’s make the change we need in 2024.
Comment Guidelines
National World encourages reader discussion on our stories. User feedback, insights and back-and-forth exchanges add a rich layer of context to reporting. Please review our Community Guidelines before commenting.