Jackie Baillie welcomes Labour’s commitment to reform the private rented sector in Scotland as new analysis reveals that the number of children in private rented housing living in severe poverty has more than doubled in a decade.

The analysis reveals that 20,000 children in the private rented sector were living in severe poverty during the three year period between 2005/06 – 2007/08. However, in the latest period, covering 2015/16 – 2017/18, that figure has more than doubled to 50,000.

Severe poverty is defined as being below 50 per cent of UK median income after housing cost.

Scottish Labour have set a target of building 12,000 council and housing association homes per year, and is working on a ‘Mary Barbour’ law which will help deliver fair rents.

Jackie said:

“Scotland’s housing crisis is fuelling child poverty. Too many families are caught in a vicious cycle – a lack of affordable housing forcing them to rent and pay rip-off prices, and hammering their cost of living.

“Building more homes for social rent and fixing the problems in the housing sector is key to ending this trend. This will ensure that social housing is available to those who need it at an affordable price.

“Ending child poverty should be a priority for the Scottish government.”