Our crumbling homes: Safety fears for THIRD of Scots families
NEARLY a third of homes are in need of ‘urgent’ repairs because they pose a safety risk to occupants, a Scottish Government survey has found.
More than 740,000 – or 30 per cent – of the country’s residential properties need ‘immediate repair’ to halt ‘health and safety’ risks or prevent further damage.
Ministers have been accused of ‘overseeing a housing crisis’, with opponents urging the Government to ‘take responsibility’ for the decline in standards.
The Scottish House Condition Survey 2018 indicates threequarters of all homes in Scotland have ‘some form of disrepair’ – a huge rise on the previous year.
It has also revealed that 57 per cent of properties – more than 1.4million homes – have ‘disrepair to critical elements’, a 7 per cent rise from 2017.
This means there are serious issues with the properties’ ‘weather-tightness’ and ‘structural stability’.
Scottish Conservative housing spokesman Graham Simpson said: ‘The SNP is overseeing a housing crisis in Scotland.
‘Not only do we not have enough homes, but the housing we do have is simply not of a high enough standard, and things are getting worse.’
The survey says the prevalence of disrepair is ‘associated with age of construction’, with buildings constructed after 1964 ‘less likely’ to have damage to ‘critical elements’ such as wall and roof structure.
Experts have repeatedly warned against the Scottish Government’s presumption to build new homes rather than
‘Housing crisis in Scotland’
provide investment in older buildings, including tenements.
Former housing professor Douglas Robertson has said we are ‘already seeing the partial collapse of some tenements’.
Meanwhile, charities have warned that elderly Scots risk developing severe illnesses and dying due to a rise of those living in fuel poverty.
The Government survey has revealed that one in four Scottish households – more than 600,000 – are living in fuel poverty. This is a rise of more than 36,000 from the previous year. The survey said more than one in ten households are living in ‘extreme fuel poverty’ defined as having to spend more than 20 per cent of income on energy.
Age Scotland’s chief executive Brian Sloan said: ‘It’s simply unacceptable that tens of thousands of older people in Scotland are spending their later years worrying about energy bills or cutting down on other necessities to pay for heating.
‘Many are putting themselves at risk of health problems, such as heart disease, respiratory or circulatory diseases by not heating their homes adequately.
‘This leads to increased winter deaths, as well as GP visits and hospital admissions.’
Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: ‘The Scottish Government is committed to tackling disrepair in housing, driving a culture in which good maintenance is given a higher priority, ensuring that tenement owners can work together to look after their homes, and making it easier for those who need help to meet the cost of the work.’