Fife Council has declared a housing emergency as homelessness in the region remains at record levels.
It is the fourth Scottish local authority to make the declaration after Glasgow, Edinburgh and Argyll and Bute.
Labour’s housing spokesperson Judy Hamilton said a 26% cut to the Scottish Government’s affordable housing budget had been the last straw.
The reduction means the loss of a potential £9 million for Fife, she said.
And she added: “It’s devastating and threatens the programme that’s been agreed by every party in this chamber.”
The move also follows the termination of the council’s housing contracts with a Fife firm.
There are 13,566 people currently waiting for a council house in Fife.
And 1,105 households, including 370 children, are living in temporary accommodation.
Ms Hamilton said the housing service expects around 2,700 new homeless applications by the end of this month.
Fife housing emergency ‘needs urgent action’
The council has now asked head of housing John Mills to develop an emergency action plan in partnership with homeless charity Shelter Scotland and others.
It will be presented to the cabinet committee in June.
Councillors are also calling on the Scottish Government to urgently reverse its budget cut.
Everybody deserves a warm, safe and affordable place to call home.”
Councillor Judy Hamilton.
Ms Hamilton said the motion came despite warning letters to the First Minister and Prime Minister in January.
She added: “I hoped I would never have to bring this motion to the council because this is not a place where any of us wanted to be.
“We tackled every challenge head on and worked hard to avert it.
“By declaring a housing emergency we want united urgent action.
“Everybody deserves a warm, safe and affordable place to call home.”
SNP say ‘slogan will achieve little’
SNP councillors accused the administration of ignoring their warnings of an escalating crisis in 2022.
And they claim much of the problem lies with Fife Council inefficiencies and a failure to buy back enough houses.
They called for a report addressing how the council and housing associations can make best use of Holyrood’s affordable homes budget.
SNP leader David Alexander said the declaration of a Fife housing emergency was “a blatantly political and hypocritical motion”.
And he added: “Adding a slogan to the current housing situation will achieve little.”
However, Ms Hamilton said the council has reviewed its processes but still faces a crisis.
“Perhaps declaring an emergency is symbolic,” she said.
“However, the declaration of an emergency must be followed by emergency action.”
Council still committed to helping homeless people
Fife has one of the largest housebuilding programmes in Scotland, delivering 7,400 homes since 2012.
A further 1,250 council houses are promised in the next five years.
The head of housing’s action plan will include looking at how that can be maintained alongside the property acquisitions policy.
“Our ability to keep building is now compromised,” said Ms Hamilton.
“We are therefore officially declaring a Fife housing emergency.”
Despite the issues, Fife Council says it is still committed to helping people who find themselves without a home.
Further information can be found at our.fife.scot/gethelp/home
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