Alex Rowley, Fife Labour Leader, fears for new social housing in Fife.
Commenting on the SNP budget this week and what it means for Fife Council, Labour leader Alex Rowley said; “As a councillor one of the biggest issues I deal with day in and day out is housing and the truth is we just don’t have enough houses for rent and we don’t have adequate provision of special needs housing to meet the demands in our communities. It is therefore tragic that the SNP government have cut the affordable housing budget by 50%.
“Having a secure affordable home is the biggest single thing we can offer families in order that they can build a stable future, get a job and provide for their families health and wellbeing. In Fife the numbers of homelessness has risen 50% in the last three years and this cut is ill considered.
Mr Rowley also warned that the budget cuts were not driven by doing more for less but were about ‘cutting’ services. He said; “This is not efficiency savings and the government need to be honest and acknowledge that we will see real cuts in public services. We must therefore do all we can to protect the frontline in our classrooms, in our neighbourhoods and in the caring services. I have yet to be convinced that we could not do more to cut the bureaucracy, the pet projects and the continuing dominance of central administration”.
Young people cannot get a house unless they have an alcohol or drug problem or have a baby and are told to buy or rent private.
They cannot get a mortgage from the banks and are ripped off by the private owners, so what are they meant to do?
We can and must unite across Fife to build a powerful fighting force able to take on and challenge the SNP.
The detrimental effect of their right-wing policies has been felt in many corners throughout the kingdom. No-one is protected from the SNP and their selfish obsession with slashing services.
All over Fife countless people have never-ending stories about their experience, all and everyone has been touched and we must fight for all those struggling and striving to do better for themselves and their communities.