Social housing units face a surge in complaints, with damp and mould issues escalating. The Scottish Government faces scrutiny.
The Scottish Conservatives found this out. They got data from many local councils. Twenty-two out of thirty-two shared their data. Ten councils did not keep records, so the actual number may be higher. This raises serious questions.
Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Renfrewshire reported the most issues. Aberdeen had almost 35,000 complaints. Edinburgh had over 24,000. Renfrewshire recorded almost 18,000. Glasgow, the biggest council, didn’t log data.
A politician criticized the Scottish Government. Meghan Gallacher said it’s shameful. She feels ministers haven’t supported local councils, which left them unable to ensure safe homes.
Damp and mould are bad for health. They cause distress for tenants too, it’s unacceptable. Scotland has many problems, like social housing waiting lists and many existing homes that aren’t suitable either.
It’s a housing crisis. It seems the SNP is ignoring tenants, so Paul McLennan needs to take action. He must make sure safe homes are available. Reporters contacted some authorities for their views.