A MAJOR house building programme could help tackle the homeless problem in Scotland and provide jobs and opportunities as jobless figures continue to rise.

Fife MSP Alex Rowley has written to the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Finance requesting that the capital resources are put in place for a national house building programme on a scale that can truly meet the housing needs of the country.

The Labour MSP said in the letter: “We have had a housing crisis for a prolonged time in this country, and the coronavirus pandemic has the potential to make the situation even worse. That cannot be allowed to happen.”

In a direct call to the Scottish Government Mr Rowley stated: “This crisis has also afforded us an opportunity to look at housing as a whole and consider the types of ambitious national housing programmes that could join all the bits together. Surely no one can argue that we should go back to the way we were.

“Given we know there is a real and severe economic risk facing us as a country, and given we know there will need to be job creation, skills and training made available to help us out of it, will the Scottish Government commit to a national house building programme to tackle homelessness and to stimulate the economy which will at the same time deliver the many jobs that are so urgently needed at this time?”

The MSP also highlighted the latest campaign from Shelter Scotland urging the Scottish Government to extend the no-evictions for rent arrears policy that was introduced during lockdown. The current emergency provisions will end in October and many are worried about the repercussions that are still to be fully realised from the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Rowley said in the letter: “The extent of the challenge facing us is severe - 8.7 million jobs that are currently furloughed, huge rises in unemployment, and the 1.5 million claims to Universal Credit, six times more than the same period last year."

Commenting after he said: “I hope the Scottish Government will take this seriously and make housing a national priority.

"Getting this right will stimulate the economy, protect and create jobs and provide homes to those in greatest need; all of which will be desperately needed now more so than ever. "Despite the Government's best efforts we simply do not have enough houses for rent and that is why we need a programme on the scale of the post 1945 effort that will deliver hundreds of thousands of public housing over the next period.”

The Scottish Government says that they are working to increase the number of homes across Scotland so that everyone has a good quality home that they can afford and that meets their needs.

The Housing Beyond 2021 paper aimed to help inform discussions on the future of housing.

Under the 'More Homes Scotland' approach, the Government are aiming to increase the supply of homes through: the Housing and Planning Delivery Framework, which brings planning and housing requirements closer together, making them easier and quicker to take forward the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP), bringing empty homes back into use and providing a range of grants and loans.