Mid Fife and Glenrothes MSP Jenny Gilruth has written to Fife Council’s newly appointed Spokesperson for Housing, calling for the council to take urgent action on the current housing crisis across the region.
Recent figures indicate that over 930 families in Fife are stuck in temporary accommodation, including over 400 children.
In her letter to Cllr Judy Hamilton, Ms Gilruth called for Fife Council to take urgent measures to address this and raised the suggestion of Fife Council buying back more ex-council properties to alleviate the current crisis.
Fife SNP Councillors, led by their Spokesperson for Housing Cllr Lesley Backhouse, recently called for the new Labour minority administration to drastically increase the number of ex-council properties it buys back to cope with the current demand.
Furthermore, Scottish Government investment provides a subsidy of £40,000 per house to bring these properties back into public ownership.
Fife Council’s current limit on buybacks is 50 properties a year, which the SNP councillors wish to quadruple to 200 a year.
Commenting, Jenny Gilruth MSP said:
“Fife is currently facing a crisis in housing and urgent action is needed now to address this.
“Many of my constituents have been in touch to raise their concerns at being trapped in temporary accommodation and I know this is the case across the region.
“Fife Council’s new Labour administration needs to consider all options to alleviate this crisis, including the SNP’s suggestion of expanding buybacks.
“The Scottish Government’s subsidy provides funding for taking these properties back into public ownership, and the current administration’s limit of 50 a year is not going to help the 930 families in temporary accommodation.
“Furthermore, Fife Council’s cabinet will not be meeting until August to discuss many of these pressing issues.
“Families across Glenrothes and Fife cannot wait until after the summer holidays for the council to take action.
“The means is there to solve this crisis, Fife Council just need the will.”
ENDS
