South Lanarkshire Council calls housing emergency.

South Lanarkshire Council has made a significant announcement, declaring a housing emergency in the region. The decision comes in response to a worrying 28% increase in the number of individuals seeking assistance from the council due to homelessness, a 38% rise in the number of people officially identified as homeless by the council, and a staggering 101% increase in the backlog of urgent homeless households waiting for accommodation.

This motion, proposed by Councillor Davie McLachlan and seconded by Councillor Margaret Cowie, aims to address the escalating crisis in housing and homelessness services. The declaration of a housing emergency recognises the urgent need for action to alleviate the growing pressures faced by South Lanarkshire.

The council acknowledges its commendable efforts in handling homelessness applications but underscores the critical challenges it currently faces. The council stresses the necessity for immediate intervention from both Scottish and UK central governments. Specifically, they call for:

• Restoration of the ‘local connection’ system in Scotland to manage out-of-area homelessness presentations
• Reversal of cuts to the Affordable Housing Supply Programme budget to ensure the delivery of 1300 additional council homes as outlined in the Strategic Housing Investment Plan
• Additional support to address housing needs stemming from humanitarian and asylum programmes

South Lanarkshire Council’s declaration of a housing emergency aligns with similar actions taken by various local authorities across Scotland. Regions such as Argyll and Bute, the City of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Fife, West Dunbartonshire, West Lothian, and the Scottish Borders have all recently declared housing emergencies due to mounting challenges in housing provision.

Building on these local declarations, the Scottish Government declared a national housing emergency in May, acknowledging the severity of the housing crisis on a broader scale. CIH Scotland has also reiterated the urgent nature of the situation, having highlighted Scotland’s transition from a housing crisis to a full-blown housing emergency.

Housing minister Paul McLennan has affirmed plans to unveil an action plan to tackle the housing emergency. He emphasised the collaborative efforts within the housing sector to identify specific actions to address the pressing issues at hand. McLennan outlined the importance of the Housing to 2040 strategy, emphasizing the vision for every individual to have access to safe, quality, and affordable housing by 2040.

The council additionally passed motions calling for the new First Minister to honour the democratic mandate of local government by providing fair funding. They also extended their support to a campaign representing the interests of the local third sector.