By Bill Heaney
Over 100,000 children are on social housing waiting lists, shocking new figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives can reveal today.
A series of Freedom of Information Requests to the party to Scotland’s 32 local authorities has revealed that at least 103,732 children are on social housing waiting lists. Over 10,000 children in Glasgow alone are waiting to be housed.
The true figure will be even higher as one council – Labour-controlled West Dunbartonshire Council – did not respond to the party’s FOI request. The Council also refused to speak to The Democrat.
In total, more than 300,000 people are on social housing waiting lists with over 36,000 in Glasgow on the local authority’s list.
Shadow social justice, housing and local government secretary Miles Briggs, pictured right, has described the figures as a “disgrace” and say they “completely expose” the SNP-Green government’s failure to build enough affordable homes across Scotland.
Briggs has also slammed SNP-Green ministers for slashing over £160 million from the housing budget in cash terms, while a further £177 million was cut from the budget designed to invest money in building more homes.
He added that it “should be a source of shame” for the nationalist coalition that such a large number of children – and people generally – are suffering on social housing waiting lists.
Scottish Conservative shadow social justice, housing and local government secretary Miles Briggs MSP, said: “These figures are an absolute disgrace and wholly unacceptable.
“It should be a source of shame for SNP-Green ministers that over 100,000 Scottish children are currently on social housing waiting lists and the figure will be even higher with one council not responding.
“They completely expose the SNP-Green government’s failure to build enough affordable homes for people and families across Scotland. Typically the rhetoric regarding house-building has been good from ministers, but they have been miles off matching that when it has come to delivery.
“Communities across Scotland are facing a housing crisis and we are seeing precious little in the way of action from the SNP-Green government to tackle it.
“Overall over 300,000 people are on the waiting list for social houses in our country which is a truly scandalous state of affairs.
“The wholly illogical decision to slash the housing budget has come back to haunt ministers who must use these figures as an urgent wake-up call and reverse those deeply damaging cuts immediately.
“If they don’t, then these figures will spiral even further out of control.”
There are more than 300,000 people on social housing waiting lists. Figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives have indicated that there are 327,585 people currently on social housing waiting lists. Glasgow City Council had the largest number of people with 36,186 people on social housing waiting lists. The only council which did not provide the requested data was West Dunbartonshire Council. (FOIs available on request).
There are more than 100,000 children on social housing waiting lists. Figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives have indicated that there are currently 103,732 children on social housing waiting lists, across Scotland. Glasgow has 10,616 children on social housing waiting lists, most than any other council. The only council which did not provide the requested data was West Dunbartonshire Council. (FOIs available on request).
There are currently at least 24,209 people with disabilities on social housing waiting lists. Data obtained by the Scottish Conservatives, through Freedom of Information, indicated that there are currently at least 24,209 people on social housing waiting lists. 23 local authorities responded to the request by providing data, (The Herald, 9 January 2023, link).
The SNP Government has cut the housing budget by £166 million. In 2022-23, the SNP Government allocated £888 million towards housing. However, in 2023-24 they will be allocating £721.6 million. This is a £166.4 cut in cash terms. (The Scottish Government, 15 December 2022, p. 44, link).
The SNP Government has cut the budget of building more homes by £177 million. In 2022-23, the SNP Government allocated £744.3 million towards building more homes. However, in 2023-24 they will be allocating £567.5 million. This is a £176.5 cut in cash terms. (The Scottish Government, 15 December 2022, p. 45, link).