Shirley-Anne Somerville was appointed social justice and housing secretary by first minister John Swinney yesterday as he named his new top team.

Previously, the housing brief was a standalone role held by Màiri McAllan, while Ms Somerville was the standalone social justice secretary.

Gordon Llewellyn-MacRae, assistant director at Shelter Scotland, said the shift sends the wrong signal.

“It is incredibly deflating to see housing downgraded from a specific cabinet post to a shared portfolio and the standalone housing minister effectively downgraded to a junior role,” he said.

“Playing ‘hokey cokey’ with a dedicated minister in then out of the cabinet does nothing to build confidence that ending the housing emergency remains a top priority for the new government.”

He said the charity would continue to work constructively with Somerville on the Housing Emergency Action Plan, noting Shelter’s support for commitments on new homes, homelessness rights and tackling systemic bias.

“But without a dedicated seat at the table, housing organisations will need to keep speaking out if we are to see manifesto pledges turned into action.”

Gillian McLees, national director of CIH Scotland, said the decision ran counter to the consensus across the sector and political parties during the election campaign.

“Despite sector-wide agreement that housing should remain a cabinet secretary position… we are deeply disappointed by the government’s decision to combine housing with social justice in a shared portfolio.”

She said CIH Scotland would work with Somerville and the wider ministerial team “to address the national housing crisis and deliver the change our communities across Scotland need to thrive”.

SFHA chief executive Richard Meade added: “Scotland’s housing emergency is one of the defining challenges of this new Scottish Government -and it shows no signs of abating. 250,000 people in Scotland are currently waiting for a social home.

“Nearly 10,500 children are living in temporary accommodation today. These numbers are not falling. Affordable housebuilding is in freefall. That has to change.

“I congratulate Shirley-Anne Somerville on her appointment. The Cabinet Secretary is right that housing is the single biggest cost many families face, but the reality is far more acute than cost. A good home is the bedrock for everything else, from health, and education to employment and wellbeing. If this Scottish Government is to deliver on its aspirations for the people of Scotland, then it must start with housing.

“SFHA is ready to work with the Scottish Government from day one. But I am also clear that the scale of this emergency demands urgency, political willingness and a fully funded plan to build the 15,693 homes Scotland needs every year of this parliament. We will be measuring progress against that over the next parliament, not against intentions.”

Homelessness charity Crisis Scotland struck a more optimistic tone, welcoming Somerville’s appointment and the potential for closer alignment between poverty, housing supply and prevention.

Maeve McGoldrick, head of policy and communications, said: “We warmly welcome the appointment of Shirley-Anne Somerville. Bringing together responsibility for social justice and housing creates a real opportunity to take a more joined-up and strategic approach to tackling poverty and homelessness.”

She said thousands of people remain trapped in temporary accommodation and warned that housing insecurity is driving poverty and pressure on frontline services.

“There is a real opportunity now to build momentum behind the commitments made to end homelessness and ensure they are matched by the leadership, investment and long-term action needed to create lasting change.”

Unveiling his full ministerial team, First Minister John Swinney said the new structure would focus on “the things that matter most to the people of Scotland”, including the cost of living, NHS access and delivering “a fresh start with independence”.

“This new team will hit the ground running, delivering major progress on our priorities within the first 100 days… This government will work harder than ever to repay the trust that people have placed in us.”

The full Scottish Government ministerial team consists of:

First Minister, John Swinney

Minister for Europe, External Affairs & Energy, Stephen Gethins
Minister for Parliamentary Business & Veterans, Jamie Hepburn

Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government, Jenny Gilruth

Minister for Public Finance, Hannah Mary Goodlad (reporting jointly to the Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Reform)

Cabinet Secretary for Public Service Reform, Ivan McKee

Minister for Public Finance, Hannah Mary Goodlad (reporting jointly to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government)

Cabinet Secretary for Justice, Neil Gray

Minister for Victims & Community Safety, Kirsten Oswald

Cabinet Secretary for Health and Care, Angela Constance

Minister for Community Care, Alison Thewliss
Minister for Mental Wellbeing, Public Health, Sport, Alcohol & Drugs, Maree Todd

Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Rural Affairs, Gillian Martin

Minister for Agriculture, Marine & the Islands, Jim Fairlie

Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture and Gaelic, Màiri McAllan

Minister for Children, Young People, & The Promise, Siobhian Brown
Minister for Innovation, Technology & Tertiary Education, Ben Macpherson

Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing, Shirley-Anne Somerville

Minister for Equalities & International Development, Simita Kumar

Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Tourism and Transport, Stephen Flynn

Minister for Business & Fair Work, Tom Arthur