As Scottish homelessness catastrophe looms, SNP's lack of action speaks volumes about their values – Jackie Baillie

Prioritising funds for the Scottish National Investment Bank, despite its chequered track record, over affordable housing is quite an expression of values

When government ministers boast about their values, always check the small print. It was only last Tuesday, after some journalistic data-digging that the SNP Finance Secretary admitted that her budget involves cutting 1,200 university places for Scottish students. This didn’t feature in any of the flourishes about SNP values and protecting people in tough times which Shona Robison repeatedly engaged in while presenting her tax-raising budget last month.

Neither were the implications of a £196 million cut from the affordable housing supply programme spelled out. It also took until this week for Ms Robison to admit that the housing budget had been cut to maintain support for the Scottish National Investment Bank.

I accept that governing means deciding, but backing the state bank which has a chequered record of backing companies to grow the economy, over finding homes for those desperate to avoid homelessness is quite an expression of values. The cuts to housing – it is a real-term drop of 27 per cent – fall mostly on Scotland’s local councils which have now scraped out their reserves in an attempt to keep services going.

The 2024 Scottish Homelessness Monitor is warning that the number of people sleeping rough, in hostels or temporary accommodation could soar by 33 per cent (Picture: Andy Buchanan/AFP via Getty Images)

In terms of housing, we are now heading for a catastrophe with a warning that homeless levels in Scotland could rise by a third in the next two years without some immediate action. The 2024 Scottish Homelessness Monitor found that the number of people sleeping rough or in hostels or temporary accommodation could soar by 33 per cent.

There are 9,595 children living in temporary accommodation already, the highest number on record. The use of bed-and-breakfast accommodation across Scotland grew by 124 per cent in the three years to March 2023 – rising from 789 to 1,765 households, adding to the misery of homelessness.

A rise in housing benefit by the UK Government would help enormously but the Scottish Government’s decision to slash the budget for housing this year is going to be disastrous. Even more people than is currently the case will end up sleeping in cars, or sofa-surfing their way through their friends, or spending months in temporary accommodation that just isn’t fit for purpose.

The most damning thing about the figures, and the horrible reality behind them, is that we have been here before and we have solved the problem before. The last Labour government made it a priority and very nearly succeeded in getting everyone off the streets across the UK. During the pandemic, the Everybody In initiative meant that no one was left behind.

We know what causes homelessness and we know how to end it. It is possible to build a Scotland where everyone has a safe, secure place to call home. It takes determination, not despair, and it takes political will too.

We need urgent action to avert the catastrophe of record homelessness levels. That means building affordable housing, a proper funding settlement for councils and a plan to tackle the cost of living. The SNP says that tackling homelessness is a priority but action to tackle it is sadly missing from Shona Robison’s budget – that tells you all you need to know about the SNP’s values.

Jackie Baillie is MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour’s deputy leader and her party’s spokesperson for health