Scottish Ministers need to tackle crisis

West Lothian Council has backed a motion calling on the Scottish Government to recognise the housing crisis it and other local authorities are facing.

Council Leader Lawrence Fitzpatrick told a meeting of the Council’s Executive that councils of every political stripe were facing significant demands and pressures from homelessness.

Professional bodies such as Cosla and those representing housing professionals have also branded Scottish public housing as in crisis.

Councillors voted 10 to 3 for the Labour led motion against an amendment from the SNP which laid the blame for the housing crisis at the door of the Labour led administration for not building enough homes in the last 12 years.

Seconding the SNP amendment Councillor Pauline Orr asked the council to admit its faux pas and failures to build enough homes to meet demand.

Councillor George Paul, Executive Councillor for Housing services said:“I am deeply disappointed that the Scottish Government has not provided additional financial support to West Lothian to help with the costs of temporary accommodation.

“Despite allocating additional funds to homelessness in this financial year the council are forecasting an overspend of more than £2 million.”

The Executive heard that despite West Lothian having the fourth largest number of households in temporary accommodation in Scotland

West Lothian Council would not receive any share of an extra £2 million announced by the Scottish Government to help with temporary accommodation.

A cross party working group had produced “innovative“short term solutions to tackle the desperate shortage of accommodation in West Lothian.