Housing ''top'' of Scottish agenda

Providing affordable homes in Scotland needs to be a priority for the government to address, Shelter Scotland has said.

According to the charity, some 30,000 affordable new homes need to be built on Scottish land and building sites, with the group suggesting that such priority issues had been overlooked in favour of more politically expedient issues.

Archie Stoddart, director of Shelter Scotland, said that many people were experiencing problems through not being able to sort out a mortgage or because they were on a lengthy home waiting list.

"Politicians tell me that housing is the single biggest issue they face at a constituency level," he said.

Due to speak at the third annual Holyrood housing conference in Glasgow, Mr Stoddart added: "Yet when we reach the higher stratosphere of politics where does it rank? Not nearly high enough."

However, the government has claimed that spending on affordable homes on Scottish plots has doubled since 2003.


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