Housing dilemma

It is welcome news that the ­Scottish Government has listened to the housing sector and agreed to make available £44 million to increase the grants for housing associations so that they can get on with the job of building homes (your report, 8 July).

The Scottish Government pledged to build 4,000 social homes each year of this parliament.

But with only 2,781 new ­social homes started last year, action was needed. This is a timely ­reminder that good homes and good communities need good ­investment.

This is a step in the right direction, but the only way to end Scotland’s housing crisis for good is to build at least 10,000 new affordable homes each year.

This will bring the double benefit of a home for many of the 157,000 households on council waiting lists and vital jobs for the building industry.

Graeme Brown

Shelter Scotland

South Charlotte Street

Edinburgh

In his article on social housing Brian Monteith paints an unedifying picture of local councillors perpetuating heavily subsidised uneconomic rents and helping individuals to queue-jump to gain homes.

I am sure this did happen but here is another side.

In my work in a large council estate I met councillors who had gone into politics with a genuine desire to help the less fortunate members of our society.

Sadly, some of those councillors became disillusioned when they found out that the very people they tried to help had been less than honest about their situation and their problems.

Hugh M Mackenzie

Bonnethill Road

Pitlochry