Spend every penny of increased cash on affordable housing, charity urges
Scottish ministers have been urged to fully pass on a funding increase caused by a boost in housing spend by the UK Government.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced on Wednesday £39 billion would be spent over the next decade on housing.
The cash will result in an increase in funding for Scotland, though the Treasury has as yet been unable to say how much extra cash will come north of the border.
The announcement comes as the Scottish Government has been dealing with a housing emergency in the country for more than a year and as Mairi McAllan was appointed Housing Secretary on Wednesday.
Shelter Scotland – a key housing charity north of the border – has urged ministers to ensure every penny provided to the Scottish Government as a result of the boost goes towards affordable homes.
'The UK Government has finally recognised the importance of social housing and placed it at the heart of the Chancellor's plans,' the charity's director, Alison Watson, said.
'If additional funding is made available, only the Scottish Government can decide how it is allocated. But if the First Minister is serious about tackling the housing emergency and ending child poverty, housing must be a priority.
'We demand that any consequentials arising from this investment in housing in England are passed directly to Scotland's affordable housing supply programme.
'This is already the case with NHS spending – housing should be no different. After all, home is everything.
'We know that building more social homes is the only way to tackle the housing emergency.
'It is the only way we can move the 10,360 children currently in temporary accommodation into secure, permanent homes.'
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: 'As part of his reshuffle, the First Minister has put tackling the housing emergency at the heart of his Cabinet by appointing Mairi McAllan as Cabinet Secretary for Housing.
'This financial year, we have increased the Affordable Housing Supply Programme budget by £200 million to £768 million, including £40m targeted towards acquisitions to support the local authorities with the most sustained homelessness and temporary accommodation pressures.
'The full implications of the UK spending review, which outlined spending on housing in the next 10 years, are still being considered.'
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