More than 2,000 children are on a waiting list for social housing in Stirling, according to shocking new figures.
The data has been acquired via a Freedom of Information request from the Scottish Conservatives, who asked each of Scotland’s 32 local authorities about the numbers currently waiting for social housing in their areas.
It has revealed that a total of 6,042 people are on the waiting list in the region, with 2,052 of these being children.
In total, there are more than 327,000 desperately searching for social housing in Scotland - with more than 103,000 children included in the figures.
The information has led to criticism from Conservative Mid Scotland and Fife MSP, who blasted ministers’ efforts to get on top of shortages in housing stock.
In Clackmannanshire, there are 2,075 people on the social housing waiting list - including 1,460 children.
Mr Stewart said: “These figures are disgraceful and wholly unacceptable.
“It should be a source of shame for SNP-Green ministers that over 2,000 children are on Stirling Council social housing waiting lists.
“The findings completely expose the failure of SNP-Green ministers to build enough affordable homes across Stirling. Typically, their rhetoric has been good on housebuilding, but they have been miles off delivering the homes needed here.
“Our communities are facing a housing crisis, yet we see precious little action from ministers.
“The decision to cut the housing budget has come back to haunt them.
“They should use these figures act as an urgent wake-up call to ministers to reverse those cuts; otherwise the number on Stirling Council waiting lists will spiral out of control.”
A Stirling Council spokesman pointed out the authority had enacted a series of strategies as part of efforts to address low properties let compared to demand.
These include implementing a ‘strategic housing development plan’ and setting a target quota for the number of lets made to existing council tenants to create vacancy chains and let more properties.
The spokesman added: “Like many social landlords across Scotland, Stirling Council faces greater demand for housing than it can supply.
“In the last year (2022-23), the council let a total of 346 properties.
“We ensure that people with the greatest housing need are prioritised, guided by our Housing Allocations Policy.
“This has recently been reviewed in consultation with both council tenants and housing applicants.”
