Scott backs council housing funding bid

9.17.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 28th Sep 2009

Shetland MSP, Tavish Scott, is backing the Shetland Islands Council housing funding bid submitted to the Scottish Government. This money would build 172 new houses – 138 of them in Lerwick and 34 in the north and south mainland and on Burra and Bressay.

In a letter to Alex Neil, the Minister for Housing & Communities, Tavish Scott told the Minister that “The shortage of affordable homes for rent in Shetland is a cause of continuing distress, many people having to live in totally unsuitable accommodation. Despite the best efforts of the Council’s housing staff, and those of the Hjaltland Housing Association, many constituents who come to me with housing problems are still waiting for suitable accommodation to become available.Tavish Scott MSP: Shetland

“Demand for affordable housing in Shetland has long exceeded supply and the building programme for which the Hjaltland Housing Association has been able to win funding has been unable to meet demand. As you are aware from the meeting we had in June with representatives of the Housing Association, there is a real need for many more houses to be built in Shetland to meet the demand. The houses the Council will build, if they are granted the funding they seek, are therefore urgently needed. If they are granted the necessary funding, they will be able to make a real difference to the lives of to 172 individuals or families, by providing them with suitable and affordable accommodation.

“I therefore urge you to accept Shetland Islands Council’s housing funding bid and grant them the funding necessary to allow them to build these much needed homes.”

Commenting, Tavish Scott said,

“As I have told the Minister, many constituents come to me with housing problems. But although I can seek help on their behalf from the Council and the Hjaltland Housing Association, they cannot allocate houses they do not have. So this funding is desperately needed and the Council have my full support for their plans and their funding support.”