Seventeen homes, eh? That’s what passes for good news in the housing world these days. I saw the reports about the wee development on Barrhead Road in Newton Mearns, and my first thought was, ‘Aye, that’s grand for the seventeen families who’ll get a roof over their heads.’ My second thought, though, was ‘Is that all we’ve got?’
It’s a drop in the ocean, isn’t it? A single splash when we’re staring down a loch that’s running dry. East Renfrewshire Council has been quite rightly shouting about a local housing emergency since last year. It means more people than ever are desperate for a permanent place to call home, a place to put their feet up without the constant worry.
Councillor Danny Devlin, the housing and environment convener, hit the nail on the head when he said: “Having declared the local housing emergency last year, we know that more people than ever need a permanent place to call home, so it’s extremely important that we do all we can to create more social housing in the area and tackle the issues we’re facing.” He’s right, of course. But ‘all we can’ seems like such a small number when the need is so vast.
Mind you, the homes themselves sound like a step in the right direction. They’re talking about high levels of insulation, zero-emission air source heat pumps, and even solar panels. Living in Scotland, we ken the importance of a warm, dry house that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to heat. It’s a smart move to build with an eye on the future and our energy bills. Three of them will even be wheelchair accessible, which is exactly what we should be expecting as standard now.
The construction firm, CCG (Scotland) Ltd, is using some fancy ‘offsite’ method, building bits of the houses in their factory in Cambuslang before putting them together on site. They reckon it means higher quality and faster delivery, which sounds promising. If we’re going to build more, we need to build them well and build them quickly. Time is not on our side when families are stuck in temporary accommodation, or worse, have nowhere at all.
But let’s be honest, 17 homes, even with all the bells and whistles, barely scratches the surface. We’ve got thousands upon thousands of people on housing waiting lists across Scotland. Councils are struggling, as I’ve noted before in my piece Local Councils Are Running Out of Money: What Happens Next?, and the funding for social housing often feels like a constant battle, not a clear strategy.
I hear the talk about tackling the issues, but what does that really look like on a national scale? It’s not just East Renfrewshire, it’s every corner of our country. We need a proper, ambitious plan, not just a dribble of homes here and there. This isn’t just about bricks and mortar; it’s about dignity, stability, and giving bairns a decent start in life.
The broader picture of Scottish Politics: Power, Policy, and the Path Forward often feels bogged down in arguments about constitutional matters, while fundamental issues like housing don’t always get the urgent, sustained attention they deserve. It’s easy for politicians to declare an emergency, but much harder to actually fund and deliver the solutions at the scale required.
We need to see a concerted effort from the Scottish Government and local authorities working hand-in-glove. This isn’t just a local problem; it’s a national shame. The Scottish Government has policies on housing and social justice, which you can find more about on their official website, but policy needs to translate into tangible, widespread action.
The efforts of organisations like the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations are vital, but they can only do so much without significant government backing and a clear, long-term vision. We can’t just rely on individual council projects, however well-intentioned or well-built.
So, while I’ll raise a glass to the 17 families who’ll soon have a new home in Newton Mearns, I can’t help but feel a pang of frustration. It’s a good start, aye, but it’s nowhere near enough. We need to be building hundreds, thousands of these homes every year, not just seventeen. Anything less is just tinkering around the edges while the housing crisis deepens for so many of our fellow Scots.
Source: Glasgow Times
