Humza Yousaf defends record on housing as Scottish Government prepares to slash budget
dailyrecord.co.ukHumza Yousaf has defended his Government's record on housing as it prepares to slash spending on building affordable homes.The First Minister blamed a 10 per cent cut to Holyrood's capital budget from Westminster for SNP ministers facing "financial limitations".It comes after campaigners, housebuilders and social housing groups called on the Scottish Government to invest in more affordable housing at a time many Scots are struggling to keep a roof over their heads.Shona Robison, the Finance Secretary, will ask MSPs on Tuesday to vote in favour of Holyrood’s spending plans for the year ahead.The draft Budget includes a massive £196million cut in funding for affordable housing in Scotland.Asked if budget cuts could make homelessness worse, the First Minister told the Record: "I think it's a fair question to ask."I would say we have a good track record when it comes to building affordable homes right across Scotland.
But the reality is, we're facing a significant cut to our capital budget - a 10 per cent cut - over the next five years."I wish I could tell your readers that a £1.6 billion cut in our budget isn't going to make an impact.
It is going to make an impact."So we have to try our best to mitigate that impact where we can. We will look at other innovative funding models in relation to housebuilding, and we'll continue to build as many affordable houses as we can, within the financial limitations that we have."He added: "I completely understand the concerns raised by Homes for Scotland, Shelter, and a number of other campaigners."In an open letter published in the Record today, campaigners and industry bodies have joined forces to plead with the First Minister not to axe the housing budget.The letter was also backed
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