HOUSING EMERGENCY

Griffin urges the Greens to back an opposition motion to force SNP into action at last

- ANDREW QUINN

A HOUSING emergency must be declared across the country amid a chronic shortage of affordable homes, Scottish Labour says.

The party will make a bid at Holyrood tomorrow to force the Scottish Government into action - amid fury over a £200million cut to the housing budget.

A number of local authorities, including Glasgow and Edinburgh, have already made such a declaration in the face of increasing homelessness figures and a lack of supply.

Labour has urged the Scottish Greens to back its housing emergency motion at Holyrood, after having voted against a similar attempt while the party was a partner in the SNP government.

The vote could be the first John Swinney faces losing since taking over as First Minister if the Greens and the rest of the opposition parties back Labour.

Speaking ahead of the debate, Labour housing spokesman Mark Griffin said there was "no doubt" Scotland was "in the grips of a housing emergency".

He added: "Tackling this housing emergency is key to dealing with the cost-ofliving crisis and driving down poverty.

"The SNP cannot remain in denial about the scale of this emergency.

The Greens have an opportunity to hold the SNP government to account for a litany of failures on housing, including plans to tear up the affordable housing pledge.