More than 160,000 complaints of mould and damp made under SNP government – data
More than 160,000 complaints of mould and dampness in social housing have been made since the SNP came into power, according to data obtained by the Scottish Conservatives.
The figures obtained under freedom of information come from 22 of 32 Scottish local authorities, with the remaining 10 councils not logging such data – meaning the true number of council homes where complaints of damp and mould is higher.
The three councils with the highest number of such recorded complaints are Aberdeen City (34,787), Edinburgh (24,216) and Renfrewshire (17,860).
Glasgow, the country’s largest local authority, was among the 10 councils that did not log such figures.
Scottish Conservative shadow housing secretary Meghan Gallacher said the figures are a “source of shame” for the Scottish Government.
It is completely unacceptable that hundreds of thousands of reports have been made regarding damp or mould in our social homes
The Central Scotland MSP said: “These figures should be a source of shame for SNP ministers, who have crippled our local authorities since they first came into power, leaving them without the resources needed to deliver safe homes.
“Living in a home with damp or mould is not only extremely distressing for tenants, it can lead to complicated health conditions.
“It is completely unacceptable that hundreds of thousands of reports have been made regarding damp or mould in our social homes.
“Remember, we also have 300,000 Scots on social housing waiting lists – so we have a double whammy of not enough homes in the first place and too many of those we do have being not fit for purpose.”
She added: “Scotland is in the midst of a housing emergency and the SNP are dangerously neglecting tenants.
“Housing minister Paul McLennan must get his act together and ensure that everyone in Scotland has access to a safe and affordable home.”
The Aberdeen City, Edinburgh and Renfrewshire councils were approached for comment.
The Scottish Government and local authority body Cosla were also approached for comment.
