Scotland’s new housing secretary has admitted she doesn’t know how many people are waiting for a council house.
Màiri McAllan took over from Paul McLennan last week with a brief to tackle the country’s housing problems, but when quizzed on STV about the waiting list while visiting a housing development, she admitted: “I don’t have that figure.”
McAllan, who is returning to government after maternity leave, insisted: “In my office in parliament I have a dashboard that demonstrates to me the number of people who are waiting in temporary accommodation…it’s not that I don’t know it, I don’t have the figure with me today.”
The Scottish Federation of Housing Association says nearly 250,000 people across Scotland are waiting for a social home.
When challenged that they would be shocked by her ignorance, the housing secretary added: “I think what they will be more than interested in is that I am now taking this brief into cabinet with a direct line to the first minister and that housing is one of his absolute priorities, that we are investing more than ever in the delivery of affordable homes and I am turning over every stone I can to make sure that more homes are available to more people in Scotland and I’ll be making that my priority.”
The Scottish Government formally declared a national housing emergency last May and its Housing (Scotland) Bill is midway through its parliamentary passage, having cleared stage two last week.
The Bill aims to help tackle poverty by improving the experience of renters and introducing a range of new duties to prevent homelessness. Amendments include powers to implement Awaab’s Law that would give social tenants greater protection against damp and mould, and measures to set out how rents could be capped in rent control areas.
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