Housing emergency set to be declared in constituency of SNP housing minister
The SNP housing minister is facing the “great embarrassment” of a housing emergency being declared in his own constituency.
The Scottish Conservatives accused Paul McLennan, who is the MSP for East Lothian, of failing to get a grip on an ongoing crisis.
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Hide AdEast Lothian Council will hold a special meeting on Tuesday to consider declaring a housing emergency amid “significant” pressures. A dozen local authorities in Scotland have already done so.


In May, the Scottish Government declared a national housing emergency, citing UK government budget cuts and austerity. While this had no automatic practical impact, it was a formal recognition of the crisis.
Scottish Conservative housing spokeswoman Meghan Gallacher said: “This should be a source of great embarrassment for the SNP housing minister.
“Paul McLennan has failed to get a grip of crisis and has left his own council area no option but to hold a special meeting to declare a housing emergency.
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Hide Ad“They are following in the footsteps of councils across the country whose local communities are suffering due to savage SNP cuts to housing budgets.
“While the SNP were finally forced to admit there was a national housing emergency earlier this year after pressure from the Scottish Conservatives, there has been precious little in the way of action since.
“If his own council area declaring an emergency isn’t a wake up call, then I don’t know what will be for Paul McLennan.
“He needs to show some common sense, ditch his reckless rent control policies and finally take the action necessary to tackle Scotland’s housing emergency.”
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Hide AdA report to be discussed at Tuesday’s meeting said East Lothian Council “faces significant housing pressures”.
It added: “East Lothian is the second fastest growing local authority in Scotland with changing demographics, resulting in a growing need for housing to meet the needs of families with young children, a growing older population.
“High house prices, high private sector rents, the cost of living, the impact of the pandemic as well has many other factors are resulting in lots of residents struggling to find a secure home, whether that be as a result of homelessness, overcrowding, affordability, or accessibility.”
It pointed to an additional £3.4 billion that Scotland is due to receive next year as a result of the UK Budget.
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Hide Ad“Whilst no further information is available at present regarding the allocation of these resources it should be noted that there is the potential for further resources to be allocated by the Scottish Government for housing,” it said.
The report recommends that councillors agree to write to both the UK and Scottish governments to seek additional funding.
It said East Lothian is “actively responding to the current housing pressures and the Scottish Government’s declaration of a national housing emergency in May 2024”.
However, it said council officers “have exhausted all possible opportunities to address the challenges in the housing system”.
Last week, local government body Cosla called for a share of the extra cash coming to Scotland as a result of the UK Budget to be passed to councils.
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