Scottish Labour demands Humza Yousaf makes statement on housing emergency

Scottish Labour has demanded that Humza Yousaf makes an urgent statement to parliament about the housing emergency.The party's housing spokesperson Mark Griffin has written to the First Minister asking him to outlining his plans to address the crisis.Griffin said the Scottish Government is "in complete denial about the scale of the housing emergency in Scotland".The SNP-Green Government pushed through a £196 million cut - some 26 per cent - to housing in the Scottish Budget.It comes at the same time as nearly 10,000 children face life in temporary accommodation in Scotland.Griffin said: “The Scottish Government are in complete denial about the scale of the housing emergency in Scotland.“In the face of record high homelessness, rents and mortgages spiralling, and housebuilding plummeting, the Scottish Government response has been to cut the housing budget by 26 per cent.“The is a bitter blow to the nearly 10,000 children living in temporary accommodation in Scotland today, without a home to call their own.

This is more than ever before.“Such a devastating cut to the housing budget will only result in more and more children forced into homelessness, their calls to find them a home simply falling on deaf ears.“Not only are the Scottish Government standing idly by and watching a worsening housing situation in Scotland, but their budget cuts are actively making it worse.“Humza Yousaf must wake up, listen to the demands of Shelter Scotland, and outline to parliament how he intends to respond to what can only be described as a housing emergency.” Earlier this month Shelter Scotland director Alison Watson accused the Government of “gaslighting” by talking up their record in office while watching child homelessness rise.