Housing crisis ‘worst since WWII’

A national debate on housing is needed amid a crisis not seen since World War II, the Scottish Tories have said.

The party used a debate at Holyrood to call for urgent action to increase the number of homes in Scotland and better leadership on the issue from the Scottish Government.

The Tories have put forward plans aimed at addressing the shortage, including building a new generation of new towns, setting up a housing and infrastructure agency and a dedicated cabinet secretary for housing.

Scottish Conservative communities spokesman Adam Tomkins told MSPs: “Scotland faces a housing crisis on a scale not seen since the Second World War. We urgently need to talk about this and to act.

“Housing alongside health and education should be right at the top of the Scottish political agenda.”

He continued: “The Scottish Government cannot shoulder the blame entirely for this crisis, the economic downturn has its part to play but it is the Scottish Government’s responsibility to create the right conditions for improving housing outcomes and we haven’t seen anything like the leadership on this issue that we need.” Mr Tomkins added: “Our purpose today is not to seek to give the government a bloody nose, to inflict upon it another parliamentary defeat which it can then proceed to ignore but to start a national debate which, I hope, politicians in all parties will want to engage in.” Communities Secretary Angela Constance highlighted research from the National Audit Office which said a rise in homelessness was likely to have been driven by UK Government welfare reforms.

She asked: “Will Ruth Davidson’s new towns be suitable for all those families who have faced the brunt of harsh and punitive welfare cuts?

“You have to recognise the results of the toxic Tory legacy of removing half a million houses in Scotland for social rent.

“What has that done to the prospects of young people struggling to get on the housing ladder?” added Ms Constance.

Adam Tomkins MSP