by Aoife Deery, senior policy officer, CAS Social Justice Team.

This article was first published in the Herald on 2 May2026.

With less than a week left until Holyrood election day,political parties are on the campaign trail the length and breadth of Scotland.

The different parties are making a myriad of pledges. Looking across them, many recognise the importance of safe, secure and sustainable homes, and the urgent need to tackle the housing emergency.

To do this,someoffereconomic approaches,others promiseambitious housebuilding targets,andsomeare bringing forwardideas taken from other parts of the UK and further afield.

Regardless of who forms our next government, homes must be a core focus. Good homes are foundational to people’s wellbeing, impacting health, employment and education outcomes. Last year, the housing portfolio was promoted to cabinet-level, recognising its importance in the lives of all of us. This must continue.

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) is an evidence-based organisation and through our network of local advice bureaux, we know that more people are coming to us for advice on housing problems. Homelessness remains a major concern, as does rent arrears – with average arrears in the private rented sector reaching nearly £4,000 - and there are issues around damp and mould. This tells us that finding and sustaining a decent home in 2026 in Scotland is unacceptably difficult. The harm this causes people is profound, and in turn puts more pressure on public services.

Casting a shadow over the election is the toxic rhetoric towards those seeking asylum and their housing rights. Less than 7,000 people are currently seeking asylum in Scotland, not enough to fill Falkirk football stadium. People seeking asylum do not have access to public resources, including social homes, until they receive refugee status, which can take years. Instead, people are provided with ‘asylum accommodation’ which is extremely basic. Many share cramped hotel rooms with strangers and no access to cooking or laundry facilities.

Despite this, some are suggesting there should be a ‘local connection rule’. This means that people would have to demonstrate a strong connection to an area through family or work to apply for a home there.

The reversal of this policy would be a step backwards in housing rights, harming many people, including domestic abuse survivors, by removing the choice and control they have over where to settle.

Our housing system is not working, but it’s essential we focus on why. At the heart of this is years of under-investment caused by austerity and the loss of social homes through Right to Buy. Responsibility for reversing this decline falls solely at the feet of the Scottish Government, not the people who come to Scotland in search of safety.

The next Scottish Government needs to take a just and compassionate approach and refuse to roll back any housing rights. This must include a sharp increase in the number of social and affordable homes in Scotland. There must also be a focus on affordable rents by working with the UK Government to unfreeze Local Housing Allowance and implementing effective rent controls.

Whoever leads Scotland over the next five years must be bold and ambitious in doing whatever it takes to ensure a safe, warm and affordable home for everyone.

by Aoife Deery, CAS housing spokesperson.

This article was first published in The Herald on 20 December 2025.

Last year, the Citizens Advice network in Scotland provided 62,000 pieces of housing advice, the highest level in over five years. Amongst this, one issue continues to dominate: rent affordability.  

Affordability problems are brought sharply into focus by the levels of rent debt that people come to us about. For private renters, this is on average over £4,000, double that of social renters. This is often because people are living in unaffordable homes with little option to find anything cheaper. Younger people are even more vulnerable to this as they have the same rental costs to pay but less support available to them through Local Housing Allowance (LHA). 

This was the case for Ali (not his real name) who came to us for advice recently. He stays in a private let and receives the shared accommodation rate of LHA as he is under 35 years old. This means he receives the lower rate of LHA, and as a result he struggles to pay his rent, which is causing him stress and uncertainty about his housing security. This unjust policy puts young people at risk of financial hardship early in life, increasing the chances of being forced into a cycle of debt and experiencing further problems later on.

University of Glasgow academics have been leading on work to establish a shared definition of rent affordability. Their final report included a key recommendation that to be affordable, rent should be no more than 30% of a person’s income. From YouGov polling commissioned for this report, we know that many people spend a much higher percentage of their income on rent. It is therefore clear that sustained and resourced actions from government are needed before affordable rent can become a reality for everyone.  

In practice, there are two main ways governments can deal with rent affordability: limiting rent rises and increasing support with housing costs. The new Housing (Scotland) Act gives powers for rent control areas to be introduced. This does not mean that rent increases are banned, but rather that rent increases in areas facing housing pressure would be limited. Housing pressure would be based on assessments of rent levels and rent rises in a local area. As work to implement these regulations goes on, it’s vital that the impact on rents is closely monitored to ensure that the measures tangibly improve rent affordability for people. 

Rent controls cannot work on their own however, and it’s critical that there is also more help provided for renters like Ali. Changing LHA rules relies on decisions made at Westminster. It’s deeply disappointing that the Chancellor did not uprate LHA in the Autumn budget despite it currently being significantly below real rent levels. This will prolong the hardship faced by many private renters who struggle to meet their housing costs. In a just and compassionate Scotland, everyone should have a safe, secure and sustainable home, with both UK and Scottish Governments working in partnership to achieve this. 

You can read more about our evidence and insight on affordability and other housing issues in our latest Home truths briefing.

by Derek Mitchell, CAS Chief Executive.

This article was first published in The Herald on 25 October 2025.

More than 5,000 people are expected to join the Scotland Demands Better march in Edinburgh today. That's 5,000 people asking politicians to make the changes we need to see a society where everyone can thrive and prosper. 

Led by The Poverty Alliance, charities and other organisations from across the country - including ourselves in Citizens Advice Scotland - are coming together to push for practical changes that our political leaders can make to support a better Scotland. We want to give people a stable foundation, to build a better future. 

The campaign is calling for a real living wage, more affordable homes, better student support, improved public transport, an adequate care service, cheaper energy bills and a fairer social security system - one that actually lifts people out of poverty and allows them to live with dignity.   

This list doesn’t include any surprises. If anything, you might assume these asks are being seen to already. But they’re not.  

Across the Scottish CAB network, our advisers support thousands of people living in difficult circumstances every day. Whether it’s threatened homelessness, maintenance of social housing, or simply paying the bills and feeding their families, we know people in all corners of Scotland need, want and deserve better. That’s who we’re marching for.  

We’re a quarter way through the 21st century, yet more than a fifth of Scots live in poverty. One in five people. How can this be deemed acceptable to anyone? 

Without major reform of the broken energy market, people will once again be going cold and hungry as we approach winter. Government and regulators know this and yet here we are facing another winter in which people will suffer. For us, that amounts to the toleration of harm.

Despite these harsh realities being known, social security is forever being cut while energy bills rocket. Many people can’t get a decent home to live in, and others are forced to work two or more jobs but still struggle to make ends meet. Enough is enough. Our society is clearly broken and crying out for systemic change.

That dreadful word ‘austerity’ was first used as a government strategy nearly 20 years ago. Then came the banking crash, Brexit, the pandemic, the energy crisis and the housing emergency.  

The cost-of-living crisis that was supposed to be just a temporary blip has somehow become a permanent reality. Our politicians blame each other and shake their heads sadly at it all. But where is the passion and ambition to actually end it?        

The fact that the Scotland Demands Better campaign has emerged from Scotland’s charity sector is significant. Because it is us who see the reality of how people are living through all this. It’s us that people turn to when they need to feed their families. CAB advisers are seeing the highest ever levels of demand for their services from people who are simply unable to cope.  

So if you are joining the march today, come and say hello to the CAS contingent - you’ll spot our blue and yellow logo I’m sure.

We need to demand better, and our politicians – all of them - need to listen when we do.

by Emma Jackson, head of CAS Social Justice team.

This article was first published in The Herald on 18 October 2025.

Better jobs. Better investment in life's essentials. Better social security. Scotland needs change. And we need it now.  

In Citizens Advice Bureaux across Scotland, our advisers witness daily the depths of harm that hundreds of thousands of us are forced to endure. Last year alone, our network provided life changing advice to almost 200,000 people facing impossible circumstances.  

Families cut off from life's essentials, frightened of what the future will bring.  People who are hungry, or are without a home, or sacrificing meals, dreading winter due to heating costs, or struggling to get by on wages that don’t cover household costs.  

Enough. After more than a decade of austerity and perma-crisis too many of us are feeling tired, angry, isolated, and disillusioned. We’re not prepared to continue to accept this.  

In a just and compassionate society, all of us should have a warm, safe place to call home. A decent income that at least covers the essentials. Buses and trains that get us where we need to go. Those of us who are elderly, ill or disabled getting the right support and care to live with dignity and respect.   

That’s why the Citizens Advice network is proud to be joining civic society organisations, charities, trade unions and faith groups to demand better. We’ll put our feet on the street along with thousands of people on Saturday 25^th to march in Edinburgh and demand that UK and Scottish politicians make the changes we need for a society where all of us can thrive.  

Our network will be marching for Andy and people like him. Over the last seven years, Andy’s faced repeated problems with his rents, threatened homelessness, and the repair and maintenance of his social housing. The CAB has been his safety net at each point of crisis, but the failure of the system means that these crises keep happening – and will keep happening unless there’s real change.  

We're also marching for charities across Scotland - our volunteers and advisers in every corner of the nation work in difficult circumstances supporting people facing even worse. People are coming to Bureaux with ever more challenging circumstances, when they have nowhere left to turn. It is not right that this level of need is falling to charities - this is state failure and change needs to happen. 

Change for the better happens when people stand together and demand it. The issues that our communities are being forced to endure have not happened by accident. These can be repaired and rebuilt. Something better is possible. 

Our politicians can make the right decisions today to build a better future for all of us. Better jobs for everyone who needs one, with fair conditions and wages that pay the bills. Better investment for life’s essentials, like affordable homes, good public transport, a thriving natural environment and strong public services. Better social security so that all of us have a foundation for the future. 

This is the change that Scotland needs.   

If you agree, why not join us at the march and rally in Edinburgh next Saturday to use your voice to say Scotland demands better? https://www.scotland-demands-better.com

Reacting to the passing of the Housing (Scotland) Bill by the Scottish Parliament this evening, CAS housing spokesperson Aoife Deery said:

“Through the introduction of a framework for rent controls as well as much-needed improvements to the private rented sector and homelessness prevention, the Housing Bill marks a significant step forward in tackling the affordability challenges many people across Scotland face.

“Evidence from across the Citizens Advice network in Scotland clearly shows that more and more people are faced with housing issues. We gave out housing advice more than 62,000 times last year, an increase of 7% on the previous year. We are also seeing more people struggling with paying their rent: the average rent debt that private renters come to the CAB network with is now £4,279, 14% higher than last year. This has a devastating impact on peoples physical and mental health.

“Now the Housing Bill has passed, implementation must be driven forward to ensure that the rent controls system is robust, easy to understand and delivers good outcomes, especially for tenants.”

ENDS

Citizens Advice Scotland (CAS) has responded to the latest homelessness figures, which show a 6% rise in the numbers of people in temporary accommodation in Scotland. 

CAS housing spokesperson Aoife Deery said, 

“These new figures show without doubt the deepening nature of the national housing emergency with over 17,000 households in temporary accommodation last year, an increase of 6%.  Demand for housing advice from our advisers in bureaux across Scotland is also growing, which highlights the value of advice as people face unimaginable uncertainty about their homes.  

“Last year, the Scottish CAB network gave housing advice more than 62,000 times, an increase of 7% on the year before, with a particular surge in demand for advice on homelessness. We need the Scottish Government to immediately implement its housing emergency action plan, published earlier this month. 

“We can see from the statistics that over 400 people became homeless from the private rented sector due to arrears, 15% higher than the year before. Affordability is no doubt a significant factor in this. The average rent debt that private renters come to the CAB network with is now £4,279, 14% higher than last year: people simply do not have enough money to cover rents. Alongside the emergency action plan, we need to see the implementation of the rent control measures contained in the Housing (Scotland) Bill. 

“We also need the UK Government to urgently review Local Housing Allowance and re-align it with real rents. There is a critical opportunity to do this at the Autumn Budget, in line with other social security payments.  

“These are the actions we need from governments to ensure that everyone in Scotland has a safe, secure and sustainable home.” 

ENDS

Responding to today’s new Housing Emergency Action Plan by the Scottish Government, Aoife Deery, housing spokesperson at Citizens Advice Scotland said: 

“Last year, the Scottish CAB network gave housing advice more than 62,000 times, an increase of 7% on the year before, with surges in demand for advice on homelessness and rent arrears. Things are getting worse for thousands of people and will continue to do so without urgent action and investment.  

“Every day, advisers in local CABs across Scotland support people with housing problems, but they tell us that there are fewer options than ever before to help people find a safe, secure and sustainable home.  

“Last week, we published Home truths: an evidence and insight briefing calling for the Scottish Government to produce a comprehensive housing emergency action plan. Now it has been published, we urge the Scottish Government to be bold and ambitious in the implementation of this plan. We need urgent action and real investment.  Scotland should be a place that fully and competently upholds housing as a human right.” 

Article by Aoife Deery from CAS Social Policy team. It was first published in The Herald on 30 August 2022.

It has been more than 14 months since a national housing emergency was declared by the Scottish Government.

And while pinpointing an exact reason for the emergency can be difficult, systemic failures are the driving force behind people throughout the country not having a place to call home.  

Across the Citizens Advice network in Scotland, we’re seeing more people come through our CAB doors seeking advice relating to housing, with homelessness being one of main reasons people are asking for help.

Worryingly, private rented sector (PRS) arrears are climbing with more than one in ten people (14%) now in debt, while damp and mould continue to blight homes and lives. The scale and severity of these issues, and more importantly, the real-life impact on people is profound. 

It’s these first-hand experiences that are driving our work to find solutions and influence change where change is needed. Home is somewhere we should all feel safe not somewhere that fuels anxiety or dread.  

Take Fred* for example, who recently visited his local CAB for support.   

As a labourer, work is currently sparse for Fred, and he is claiming Universal Credit. However, his award is dependent on how much work he gets. He has a private let and due to his fluctuating work and low income, he has £1,300 in rent arrears and is juggling credit card debt and council tax arrears. Fred was constantly worried about being evicted. Our network supported Fred to access a Discretionary Housing Payment and a foodbank voucher. 

Our advisers provide solutions like this every day to help people facing some of the toughest decisions manage issues in the best way possible.  

Fred’s experience brings to life three key things: people rarely just have one advice need when they come to their local CAB, people are experiencing increasingly challenging circumstances and often in crisis, and that despite being employed, many are struggling to afford the essentials we all need.  

It’s testament to the holistic nature of our service where CAB advisers have vast knowledge of many different areas and can provide wraparound support. Without this, it’s likely that Fred would have lost his home. 

The combination of the life-changing advice CABs provide, with solutions to help fix broken systems led us to develop a new housing brief, Home Truths, which will launch at the end of the month. It will include the most up-to-date insight into what people are experiencing and the solutions needed.  

Our network has the largest dataset outside of the public sector in Scotland, and we want to shine a light on the real power this can have to make change. We need action from the Scottish Government to address repairs and expand funding to deal with damp and mould. And we urgently need them to develop and implement a robust housing emergency action plan.  

With this new publication, stakeholders and the public will have the evidence and insight to understand the challenges facing people. And, most importantly, decision-makers will be informed and empowered to take bold steps to address the housing issues as we work towards a Scotland where everyone has a safe, secure and sustainable home.  

We know damp and mould can be stubborn problems to resolve, but we also know solutions are out there. We’re seeing a better response from social landlords, who are working more closely with tenants to find a solution that works for the tenant. However, social landlords also tend to be restricted by a lack of funding, which is leading to many tenants having to wait a very long time for a resolution.

So, like many other organisations, we agree that enough is enough. We want to see stronger enforcement against private landlords who do not address damp and mould. There can be no excuse for renting out unsafe and unhealthy homes.  A mix of awareness-raising, training and continuation of Scottish Government grants and loans are also all needed to support all tenures to improve energy efficiency.

Awaab’s Law is a step in the right direction, but amidst a housing, climate and child poverty emergency, we must and can do better. 

Article by Aoife Deery of the CAS social justice team. First published in The Herald on 28 September 2024.

Tuesday’s grim new statistics on homelessness in Scotland came as little surprise to anybody working in the housing sector.The housing emergency shows no signs of easing. Indeed it is becoming entrenched and enduring.

Across Scotland, councils are operating under very difficult circumstances with very little resources. Like everyone else, they’re facing new challenges, new costs and a new post-COVID landscape.

More people need social, affordable homes for rent because they’re priced out of home ownership and private rents, or are constrained by social security that doesn’t meet the actual cost of living. More of the same responses won’t work. We welcome new acquisition funds for councils to buy more homes but much more bold and urgent action is needed.

We need a re-invigorated social house-building agenda, and better support for people to access and stay in their homes. To deliver this, we need to look at different forms of finance. A national housing agency could enable us to take a wider view of things and be tasked with delivering the homes that are needed. We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: there has to be an emergency response to an emergency situation. The emergency will not end without it.