It is no secret that the demand for affordable housing in Scotland outstrips supply.
Every council has a waiting list of people, while the private rental market has been overheating for a long time.
That is a heady cocktail and one which Dundee man Mark Ford can attest does not always work in the best interests of tenants.
The 42-year-old lives in a rented flat with his partner and children.
The monthly rent is almost £500 and for that Mark and his family are expected to live in a property beset with so many issues that it has been declared unfit for human habitation.
It is an appalling situation and one that needs rectified without delay.
But it is telling that to welfare groups such as Citizens Advice, working in the sector day-in and day-out, Mr Ford’s experience is not unique.
Such situations are all too common and that says much about the legal and policy safeguards currently in place for tenants.
Housing minister is Dundee MSP
In Dundee it is simply not good enough that a scheme set up to provide protections to renters from bad landlords has continued to operate for several years without carrying out any of the promised random inspections.
And of those landlords actually registered under the scheme, how can standards possibly be driven up if the vast majority of those providing a service have not even undergone initial vetting checks?
The Scottish minister responsible for housing is Dundee-based Shona Robison. Her attitude here is key.
There is no doubting there is a lot of good work being done in the private rented and social housing sectors and progress is being made.
But if the minister is not motivated to act by Mr Ford’s story – and the many others who live quietly in the shadows – then when will she be?
Our investigation has drawn the curtain back on a scar on society.
It must not be ignored.
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