Rising rents and mortgages are a main cause of financial hardship. Low paid public services
workers in private rented homes are suffering the most.5 A strong system of rent regulation
is needed.
But the root cause is the shortage of social housing. 175,000 people are on local authority
waiting lists including disabled adults and children trapped in inappropriate housing.6 More
than 32,000 households were assessed as homeless in 2023. More households than ever
are living in temporary accommodation, including 9,600 children.7
A sustained programme of capital investment is urgently needed to enable councils and
RSLs to meet needs through new build, purchase and buy-back of former council stock and
upgrade and retrofit homes.
KEY FACTS
- Fewer than 30% of UK households now have mortgages.
- 1 in 6 UNISON members surveyed are struggling to pay their rent or mortgage and 1 in 4
of those renting privately are in difficulty. - New let private rents rose by 15.8% in Scotland over the past year.
- A third of UNISON
Stirling UNISON 