Figures released this week have revealed that the number of disabled people on housing lists in South Lanarkshire has risen by over 182 per cent in the last two years.
The figures show that there are currently 657 people in South Lanarkshire are currently waiting for disabled-friendly housing. Back in 2017, there were 233 people across the local authority area in this position.
On average, disabled South Lanarkshire residents are being forced to wait 1175 days (or 3.2 years) until they are given appropriate housing. However, Freedom of Information Requests from the Scottish Conservatives have highlighted that in some instances there have been individual cases where South Lanarkshire residents have had to wait up to 24 years until they’ve been given accommodation.
This has been a persistent issue across Scotland. The number of disabled people on housing waiting lists has almost doubled in the past two years meaning there are now 17,444 people waiting for disabled-friendly housing under the SNP government, compared to a reported 9714 in 2017. The rising number of vulnerable people waiting for housing in South Lanarkshire is proof of the SNP’s hidden housing crisis.
Graham Simpson said: “The SNP pretends to be sincere when it comes to helping people with disabilities. However, these facts expose the reality of the situation.
“Not only are there far too many disabled people waiting for the right housing, in South Lanarkshire that number has skyrocketed over the last two years.
“It proves the SNP has taken its eye off the ball domestically and allowed a housing crisis to affect the country’s most vulnerable people. The Scottish Government clearly isn’t giving South Lanarkshire Council the resources it needs to address this problem.”
