THE decision to suspended normal housing allocations in the social rented sector due to the Covid outbreak is resulting in many families and individuals being stranded in very difficult living conditions and is stoking up even more problems for social rented housing, a Fife MSP has said this week.

Alex Rowley raised the matter in the Scottish Parliament when he questioned Housing Minister Kevin Stewart.

Mr Rowley said: “It is understandable that allocations stopped given the pandemic, however, we need to know what the plan is to ensure the social rented sector gets moving.

"This requires plans that sets out how workers can access vacant properties in a safe way to address any repairs and then a safe system for potential tenants to be able to view. I have had many people contact me who have been offered a property but are not allowed to move, those who are desperate to get a property but are told there are no allocations taking place, and people who were in the process of a swap."

Mr Rowley added: “The Housing Minister confirmed that the Government will not now meet the target for new builds in the council and social rented sectors which given the circumstances is understandable, but still sad given we had a housing crisis before the virus.

"That housing situation is just going to get worse, I am afraid to say, and that is why I want Fife Council to set out how and when it is going to get the social rented sector in Fife moving.

"I know plans are being worked up for getting the building sector moving and that is good, but the damage of councils and social landlords not doing allocations must also be addressed".

Fife Council have responded to the MSP stating that the local authority is “making efforts to allocate properties to homeless households, but this is at a much reduced level to normal.”

Head of Housing John Mills,told Mr Rowley: "At this stage, we are working on recovery plans for Housing at national and local level.

"It is not possible to estimate when we can resume normal allocations until the lockdown is significantly eased.”

The Labour MSP is now urging councillors to push for a plan to be publish setting out how the council will go about getting housing allocations moving again.

He concluded: “I appreciate all this is difficult but we need to be prioritising what services and areas of our economy need to open up and local council and social landlords must see that having a roof over your head is a must and therefore a priority”.