CIH Scotland says that it hopes the announcement by the Scottish government this week that it is to declare a national housing emergency will be the political response needed to tackle Scotland’s property crisis.

Social justice secretary Shirley-Anne Somerville has highlighted external factors for the crisis including a decade of UK austerity, soaring inflation, increased cost of living, and labour shortages down to Brexit.

The acknowledgement that there is a crisis in housing across Scotland comes after West Dunbartonshire Council became the fifth local authority to declare its own housing emergency.

Last year Argyll and Bute, City of Edinburgh and Glasgow City councils all declared housing emergencies.

Fife Council made the same move in March amid unprecedented pressure on housing and homelessness services.

In declaring a housing emergency itself, the Scottish government will formally recognise the crisis and will call on the UK government to reverse cuts in Scotland’s capital funding settlement.

Somerville said: “Too many people in Scotland are struggling to make ends meet due to housing costs – or struggling to find suitable housing at all.

“We will continue to do everything we can with the powers at our disposal to make progress – but truly tackling the housing emergency will rely on a joint approach between UK, Scottish and local government.”

The social justice secretary added she wanted MSPs across the Holyrood chamber to “unite with one voice to demand a change in approach and an end to austerity which has caused untold harm to people across the country”.

The declaration of a housing emergency has received cross-party support, which is a step in the right direction according to Callum Chomczuk, national director of CIH Scotland.

He commented: “Back in March CIH Scotland declared its solidarity with the local authorities across Scotland that had declared a housing emergency. We called on the UK government to provide increased capital spending and for the Scottish government prioritise the building of affordable housing, including the front loading of affordable housing budget so social landlords can keep building.

“Since then, the context has arguably got worse with two additional local authorities declaring housing emergencies and data showing that affordable housing supply approvals and starts are at 10-year lows.

“The declaration of a housing emergency is a start. But we need an emergency plan and funding for delivering the social homes Scotland needs to address our housing and homelessness emergency.”

Timothy Douglas, head of policy and campaigns at Propertymark, also reflected on the housing emergency across Scotland.

He commented: “We are now at a pivotal moment where the housing situation across Scotland has turned critical, and there needs to be immediate and practical action to deescalate the issue. For many years housing supply has not kept pace with demand and this has contributed to higher costs for all consumers and a near unworkable situation for many agents and their landlords.

“The overall situation has not been helped by covid and the cost-of-living crisis, but we are now seeing a situation where the basic maths places the prospect of owning a home way out of limits for most people. We are also witnessing a disturbing number of local authorities placed under unfeasible pressure to provide temporary accommodation with a system that is now at absolute breaking point.

“Words must now be followed by actions and solving the housing emergency must be front and centre of the SNP administration’s programme for government. The Housing Bill provides an ideal opportunity to address the issues local authorities face, tackle affordability of housing costs through increasing supply and implement a tax regime that incentivises landlords and allows people to purchase a home of their own.”