Fabiani lends support to Shelter campaign

Central Scotland MSP Linda Fabiani voiced her support for charity Shelter Scotland’s new campaign “It’s Time To Get A Move In”, calling for 30,000 more affordable rented homes to be built over the next 3 years in order to meet the commitment of new homelessness legislation to house all unintentionally homeless people by 2012. The Strathaven based MSP said:

“Shelter Scotland has highlighted the increasing strain the housing system in Scotland is under, which has not been alleviated by the inadequate level of government investment in affordable housing options.

The situation in South Lanarkshire is no better than the national picture. Just last year we saw 954 more houses lost from the council stock, whilst the local housing strategy promises to deliver just 225 new affordable homes each year.

We already have unacceptably long council house waiting lists, particularly in pressured areas such as East Kilbride, and the investment in affordable homes is clearly not enough to meet the needs of our communities.

I welcome the new homelessness legislation which entitles all unintentionally homeless people to be given homes by 2012, but I share Shelter’s concerns that the already strained housing system simply won’t be able to deliver effectively on this statutory commitment without urgent investment over the next few years.

There is a big difference between having the right to a home and the homes actually being available in reality.

Whichever government is in power after May 2007 has to act to ensure all newly-eligible homeless can be housed without further reducing lets to people who are already languishing for years on council waiting lists.

The Executive’s 2007 Spending Review offers a late opportunity for the current Labour/Lib Dem government to show commitment to tackling the affordable housing crisis which has grown under their watch. I applaud Shelter for its contribution to the debate and urge the Executive to listen to its message.”