| The MSP tabled a parliamentary question on how much of the £25 million Dundee would receive. However, the minister refused to reveal any specific figures.
The Scottish Government recently announced it planned to give a lump sum to local authorities to build new houses over the next three years.
Earlier this year, it emerged almost 10,000 people are on the waiting list for a council house in Dundee. A fifth of those are, by the council’s own admission, priority cases.
Ms Glen said, “Councils such as Dundee are in a better position than the Scottish Government to determine local housing need and then develop an appropriate local housing strategy.
“£25 million hyped up by the Scottish Government across Scotland over the next three years through an arbitrary award by best bidding for new council houses would not be the best way forward.
“The previous Scottish Executive spent £46m in four years on housing programmes in Dundee alone. This created over 580 homes for rent.”
The MSP went on to say that an arbitrary share of the money would not stretch far in the city.
“Relatively few council houses would be created from Dundee’s eventual share of the £25m over three years.”
Dundee Housing Convener George Regan had said that dividing the money across Scotland’s 32 local authorities would mean Dundee would get less than £1m to build new homes, amounting to £300,000 a year.
Ms Glen will also be asking if the £25m will be funded by reducing the allocations that housing associations receive. |
