Fife Council has been urged to use a second homes tax hike to help alleviate homelessness.
The region’s SNP group says the £4m raised through doubling council tax should be used to increase the council housing stock.
Fife Council is on the brink of declaring a housing emergency with a record 1,900 households waiting for tenancies.
And the Labour administration is seeking urgent talks with the Scottish Government over its plan to cut funding for new affordable homes by 26%.
Meanwhile, councillors have agreed to charge 200% council tax on the 2,400 second homes in Fife, if Holyrood approves draft legislation.
The SNP group’s housing spokeswoman, Councillor Lesley Backhouse, says the extra money should help those waiting for a roof over their heads.
Fife Council ‘needs to buy 200 houses a year’ to help homeless
She said: “The quickest way to get a new home is to invest in property acquisition on the open market.
“The SNP moved last year to bring forward future years’ spend to increase the number of properties, resulting in an additional 118 homes.
“This extra money, together with the subsidy provided by the Scottish Government could see a doubling of the budget available.
“Building new houses takes three to five years, while buying properties takes three to six months.”
Ms Backhouse said Fife Council needs to buy around 200 houses a year if it is serious about tackling homelessness.
“A new build of 100 a year is not even scratching the surface of the issue,” she added.
Difficult spending choices ahead for Fife Council
A decision on how the money will be spent will be taken during the council’s budget-setting exercise next month.
Labour administration leader David Ross declined to comment ahead of that process.
However, he previously warned significant pressure on budgets means difficult choices ahead.
Competing priorities include fixing potholes, replacing ageing council vans and bin lorries and investing in swimming pools.
