Plans announced today by the SNP to end the housing crisis won’t have any impact on the problems facing Highland Council tenants, according to Labour MSP Rhoda Grant.
The minority government proposals to abolish right to buy will only apply to new build homes.
The Highlands and Islands MSP said she is angry that the proposal takes no account of the fact that the debt which Highland Council faces means it is unlikely it would even be able to build new homes.
The £160 million debt could have been wiped out had tenants chosen in favour of community buy out of the housing stock voted on almost a year ago.
“The local SNP deceived people in the Highlands that a vote which would have cleared the debt was privatisation of their homes.
The situation tenants are in now – with over 2,000 local homes beneath minimum standard – is much worse.
“Any desire on the part of the Independent/SNP led Highland Council to build houses would have to be set against rising rents, stopping improvements and delaying repairs.
Tenants in the Highlands are in an impossible position and the Scottish Government will need to come up with more ideas than those outlined today to fix the problems they have created as a result of a campaign they promoted.
Now, to add insult to injury, Cabinet Secretary Nicola Sturgeon stressed, in her written statement, that the option for future transfer of housing stock would continue to exist.
