Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP for Lothian Jeremy Balfour has slammed “disgraceful” new figures highlighting the number of children in Midlothian on social housing waiting lists.
Responses to Freedom of Information Requests submitted by the party to Scotland’s 32 local authorities have revealed that 103,732 children are currently on social housing waiting lists.
The true figure is likely to be even higher as one council – West Dunbartonshire Council – failed to respond the FOI request.
In Midlothian, a total of 3,328 children are currently on social housing waiting lists.
The party’s FOI requests also revealed that over 300,000 people across Scotland in total are on social housing waiting lists including 4,605 in Midlothian.
Jeremy Balfour says the figures “completely expose” the failure of the SNP-Green government to build enough affordable homes in Midlothian.
He also blasted the SNP-Green coalition for slashing £160 million from the housing budget in cash terms in 2023/24.
He added that it should be a “source of shame” for SNP-Green ministers that so many children in Midlothian are waiting for social housing.
Scottish Conservative and Unionist MSP Jeremy Balfour said: “These figures are a disgrace and wholly unacceptable.
“It should be a source of shame for SNP-Green ministers that 3,328 children Midlothian are on social housing waiting lists.
“The findings completely expose the failure of SNP-Green ministers to build enough affordable homes in Midlothian. Typically, their rhetoric has been good on housebuilding, but they have been miles off delivering the homes needed in Midlothian.
“Communities in Midlothian are facing a housing crisis, yet we see precious little action from ministers.
“The decision to cut the housing budget has come back to haunt them.
“They should use these figures act as an urgent wake-up call to ministers to reverse those cuts; otherwise the number on waiting lists in Midlothian will spiral out of control.”
