An amendment put forward by Labour’s housing spokesperson, Mark Griffin MSP, was passed by the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee by a vote of 4 to 3 yesterday, despite opposition from SNP members. The amendment requires Scottish Ministers to formally define what constitutes a housing emergency, outline a strategy to tackle it, and report regularly on progress.

The move follows mounting concern over worsening housing conditions in Scotland, including increased rough sleeping, rising rents and house prices, and a growing number of children living in temporary accommodation. Although the government acknowledged a housing emergency in 2023, critics argue that meaningful action has not followed.

Mr Griffin hailed the amendment as a turning point in efforts to hold the government accountable.

“A year ago, I forced the SNP government to admit the truth - Scotland is in a housing emergency,” he said.

“The important law change secured today means that they will now be required to recognise that emergency in law - and forced to take action to end it.

“The SNP has been dragged kicking and screaming to acknowledge the scale of Scotland’s housing crisis and has continually abdicated their responsibility to fix it.

“When 10,000 children are in temporary accommodation and 40,000 people don’t have a home, we need action rather than words.

“There can be no more empty platitudes from the SNP – the SNP government will be held to account for their inaction in the face of the emergency they declared.”

Under Amendment 270, the Scottish Government must:

• Define by regulation the conditions that constitute a housing emergency and what would indicate an end to such an emergency;
• Declare a housing emergency if those conditions are met;
• Publish a strategy setting out actions to address the emergency;
• Provide regular six-monthly progress reports to the Scottish Parliament.

The regulations must be introduced within six months of the Bill receiving Royal Assent.

A recording of the committee proceedings on 29 May 2025 is available on the Scottish Parliament website.