Housing

TheHomesWeNeed250Scotland faces a massive crisis in the availability, the cost and the quality of our housing. There were more than 150,000 people on local authority housing waiting lists across Scotland in 2015, a level over 30% higher than in 2004. Yet the social housing stock has declined.

Shelter has estimated that we need to build at least 12,000 affordable houses each year to meet current and future need.
UNISON Scotland believes that housing has been left to the market for too long. The market has failed to deliver. The private owned and private rented sectors cannot address the shortage.

This housing crisis requires a massive programme of social housing investment from the public sector. In our policy paper Making Homes for a Fairer Scotland we outlined a new housing programme for Scotland and we have showed how this could be funded, using some of the assets represented by public sector pension funds in our document Funding and Building the Homes Scotland Needs.

Latest news

First Minister must intervene in Bield Housing decision to close 12 care homes

Bield Housing and Care, announced yesterday (11 October) that they intend to close 12 care homes in Edinburgh, Falkirk, Glasgow, ... Read More

‘ICT should focus on providing better services not cuts’ says UNISON report

Date: Monday 30 November 2015 A UNISON Scotland report Disconnected, published today, 30 November 2015, claims that ICT services should ... Read More

Community led public services can transform inequalities, says report

Date: Thursday 22 October 2015 UNISON Labour Link Media Release - Launch of Commission on Health Inequalities report will take place at 22 ... Read More

More Housing News

Latest documents

Briefing 082 Policy – Tackling the housing crisis in Scotland – November 2016

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KEY POINTS: * Investment in social housing – including council housing - is the key to addressing Scotland’s housing crisis. * The ...

A Social Security System for Scotland – submission to Scottish Government Oct 2016

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The UNISON Scotland submission to the Scottish Government Consultation on a Social Security System for Scotland Oct 2016  UNISON represents ...

Draft Budget 2017-18: Evidence to Scottish Parliament Local Government Committee – Oct 2016

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Summary: Local government budget It is very difficult to respond to calls for evidence on a budget when there is so ...

Council Connections 15 – May 2016

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Local Government Reform While we await the new Scottish Government’s legislative programme, it seems clear that local government is in ...

No more excuses – time to address Scotland’s housing crisis.

Mark Ferguson
#STUC16 The STUC will press the incoming Scottish Government to back Shelter Scotland’s campaign for a radical programme to build ...

MSP e-briefing: Local Government Budget – Feb 2016

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MSP e-briefing: Local Government Budget - Feb 2016 Cuts to Local Government are Unsustainable Public expenditure in Scotland faces year-on-year ...
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More on briefings page