MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDED IN ROXBURGH AND BERWICKSHIRE (Jim Hume)

MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING NEEDED IN ROXBURGH AND BERWICKSHIRE

August 28, 2007 12:00 AM

Contact Jim Hume 0131 348 6703

Jim Hume, MSP for the South of Scotland, this morning met with the new Communities Minister during a constituency visit and put the case to him for more affordable housing in Roxburgh and Berwickshire.

Jim Hume said:-

"At the start of this year the Liberal Democrat administration in Holyrood announced an investment of £7.2 million would be made available for rented homes and low cost ownership in the Borders to help get people on the housing ladder.

"During this morning's meeting, the Minister simply re-announced this as new money. I sincerely hope that the new government seriously recognises the housing needs of Roxburgh and Berwickshire in the upcoming spending review rather than simply trying to hijack the previous successes of Liberal Democrats.

The MSP continued:-

"Lack of affordable housing is a national problem which has added consequences for people in Roxburgh and Berwickshire because of the low wages in the area and because of the number of properties being bought as holiday homes, pricing local residents out of the market.

"Some people want to move to be nearer their jobs or loved ones and after numerous housing applications and sometimes years down the line, have got nowhere.

"Often families are living in accommodation which is over crowded and adults are sleeping in the living room or on the floor, and I know of some cases where people have resorted to sleeping rough.

"In particular it's important that places such as Eyemouth and Hawick should have more family accommodation.

And more investment should be made available for those existing housing schemes in need of regeneration. Regeneration projects at Stonefield in Hawick and Hartrig in Jedburgh for example have recently obtained the funding needed to carry out the renovation work, and this will doubtless improve significantly residents' immediate environment, quality of life and general well being.

"The bottom line is that more affordable housing is desperately needed to alleviate the pressure on the current housing situation Roxburgh and Berwickshire, and I hope to bring a Scottish Borders Council Housing Task Force delegation to Holyrood to meet with the Minister in the coming weeks."